


On The Rocks

by Dizzy_Hurricane



Series: The DASH! Chronicles (A Group of Friends Drink Alcohol and Be Gay) [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff, Maki is incredibly gay, They're just students, They're not alcoholics, so is everyone else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-12-28 17:36:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dizzy_Hurricane/pseuds/Dizzy_Hurricane
Summary: Maki Nishikino isn't the sort of person that goes clubbing often. Meeting a certain raven-haired girl makes her more inclined to change that.A story about a group of university students finding friendship, love and lots of alcohol at a rock club.





	1. Start:Dash??

**Author's Note:**

> Hey readers! This is my first multi-chapter fic, filled with such relatable content as anxiety and drinking too much. Which is essentially what being a student is like. This fic shall be entirely from Maki's perspective, with focus obviously on NicoMaki, but other ships will be present and come into focus more later on. I aim to update this every week or so, and it will probably (maybe) be ten chapters long. Hope you enjoy!

# On The Rocks

### Start:Dash??

“Don’t worry babe, you look amazing!”

“Are you sure? It feels… too short…”

“No way! It suits you, trust me!”

Maki looked out of the filthy window and sighed over-dramatically. She’d been listening to Hanayo worry about her clothing choices for their entire journey, while Rin was being the supportive girlfriend she always was (and it was gross, as always). Of course, Maki loved her friends, and thought they made the cutest couple (though she’d rarely admit that to them), but that didn’t stop her from feeling like a third wheel more often than not. She knew they both tried their hardest to include her in everything – well, not _everything_, as Maki had regretfully heard what they got up to in their ‘alone time’ – and she appreciated it more than they would ever know.

But she still felt… lonely? Perhaps not the most accurate word to use – her friends were always by her side – but Maki often felt like there was something missing in her life. As she always did, Maki pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, filed away in the ‘do not touch’ section, somewhere in between _“Is my dad actually homophobic?”_ and _“Am I going to enjoy university or just suffer through it?”_.

Thankfully, Rin helped to stop this train of thought by tapping her repeatedly on the shoulder from the seat behind. For a minute she’d forgotten they were in an Uber, on their way to a club that none of them had been to before.

“What’s up, Rin?” Rin was almost – wait, make that literally – bouncing in her seat, a thousand-watt grin lighting up her face. She was an excitable girl when sober, but now that she had a couple drinks in her system she probably had more energy than the car they were riding in.

“Are we there yet?”

“Uhh, I’m not really sure, I don’t actually know this part of town that well.” Because Maki didn’t get out much, due to how much studying she’d been doing even though her medical classes had only just started, and therefore nights out like this were a… rare occurrence? Ok, so this might be her first actual night out since moving to university. And also her first real night out anywhere, ever. Maki never really understood the appeal – she didn’t mind having a drink or two, but getting absolutely wasted in a dark room surrounded mostly by people she doesn’t know was not typically her idea of a good time. 

“Sweet! I’m so excited to meet your friend, Hana!” Rin leaned across the back seats of the car to snuggle up to her girlfriend. Sober Hanayo might have been flustered by this, but tipsy Hanayo (past evidence has shown her to be a lightweight) returned the cuddle and it’s so cute that Maki might actually throw up. Although if she did so in an Uber, that would probably be… expensive. Besides, Maki had made it a personal goal to not get so drunk that she would end up vomiting – she’d heard too many horror tales about people throwing up in clubs.

* * *

Maki hadn’t even stepped foot inside the building before she saw a man, probably in his mid-twenties, throwing up in the smoking area, and she immediately began to reconsider the choices that led to this moment in time. Before she had a chance to think of some lame excuse to leave as quickly as possible, Rin hooked her arm through Maki’s and pulled her into the queue for the club, which was apparently called _DASH!_.

Once they had all paid the small entry fee, Rin led the girls down a flight of stairs that were so steep that Maki deeply regretted her decision to wear platform shoes, and when they reached the bottom Maki’s low expectations for _DASH!_ were apparently still too high. Through a set of open double doors (with the black paint peeling off them), she could see a dimly lit bar and a fairly small dance floor, both of which were less busy than she expected. There were four people waiting at the bar, but for some reason Maki found it difficult to look at more than one. 

On the far side of the bar was a girl who, although short, was showing off legs that Maki found it impossible to not stare at, largely due to how short her black skirt was. Once her eyes (eventually) travelled upwards, she saw that this girl had her dark hair in twintails, although Maki couldn’t get a good look at her face as she was turned towards the bar, talking to a taller (and bustier) girl with gorgeous purple hair who appeared to be a bartender.

“Oooh, this place looks so cool!” Rin’s exclamation of her low standards of ‘cool’ broke Maki out of her trance, and she was silently thankful that neither of her friends had caught her staring at a girl she hadn’t even met (though a small part of Maki was considering to order a couple of shots just to have the confidence to go and talk to her). “Do you know where we’re meeting Honoka, Hana?” Until this point, Maki had forgotten that was why they were here; Hanayo’s friend Honoka invited them on a night out, and although Hanayo herself was reluctant, Rin obviously loved the idea, and soon enough Maki was dragged into it. Truth be told, she had always been a bit curious what being in a nightclub would be like, though she had pictured her first experience in one to be… more lights, more people, more glamour, and less like it hadn’t been painted or cleaned thoroughly for several months.

“Um, I’m not sure, let me quickly text-”

“HANAYOOOOO!” Hanayo literally jumped at her name being called, and suddenly there was a flash of light brown hair leaping at the poor, defenceless girl. Faster than Maki’s eyes or brain could process, Hanayo’s assailant detached herself from her victim and thrust a hand out towards Maki. “Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Honoka! I’m Hanayo’s friend from cooking club!” Maki had known Honoka for approximately eight seconds and she already couldn’t keep up. 

“Hi, I’m Maki.” A short response, but currently that was all her brain could come up with, then Honoka moved onto Rin for her final introduction, and Maki could already tell that the two of them together was going to be a handful. Honoka might be the first person she’d ever met that has more energy than Rin, and twice as loud. 

Maki’s mind wandered away from Rin and Honoka’s loud, Hanayo-related conversation, and back to the girl she saw at the bar. Though as she tried to peek through the crowd that had now formed at the bar, she saw the purple-haired barmaid serving other customers, and the short twin-tailed girl was nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, Maki found herself with renewed optimism for her night – talking to cute girls was definitely her idea of a good time, even if she was often… not the most successful person when it came to flirting. Still, this seemed like a good opportunity to practice, especially if she bumped into twin-tail girl later on.

* * *

After they had all bought drinks from the bar, served by a young man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else (and Maki didn’t blame him), Honoka led the girls to a table in a side room of the club that Maki hadn’t even noticed before. This room looked the same as the main seating area, the same low lighting and black painted walls, but it somehow felt calmer and less… like they were in a nightclub that was essentially a basement, and more like a regular bar, perhaps since the music was quieter here. 

“So, what do you guys think of _DASH!_? It’s pretty cool, right?” Honoka beamed, eager to hear how amazing they all thought it was. Maki decided to keep quiet and let her friends handle this one.

“It’s awesome, it feels really mysterious, and the music here is great!” Rin’s use of “mysterious” is what Maki would call badly lit and a boring paint job, but she did have a point about the music. One of the main reasons Maki had agreed to come is because Hanayo mentioned that _DASH!_ played mostly “alternative rock”, which was more up Maki’s street than whatever pop and chart-based garbage was played in most clubs. Surely if she enjoyed the music, then at least that could distract her from everyone else being far too drunk and loud. So far, Maki had recognised a lot of the music, from Fall Out Boy to Linkin Park, much better than having to listen to whatever the latest popular hits were.

“Yeah, I love the music here! And I know loads of people here, everyone’s so friendly and nice! That’s why I come here so often, it’s so easy to make friends!” Maki found Honoka slightly overbearing and much too loud – she seemed to be the only one of the girls that had the ability to be heard easily over the music – but already Maki was beginning to respect her optimism and enthusiasm for the things, and people, around her. Out of the corner of her eye, Maki saw a taller girl with brilliant blonde hair approach their table, and Maki could only assume this was one of the friends that Honoka just mentioned. Honoka noticed Maki’s line of sight and turned to see this girl, before jumping out of her seat and enveloping her in a tackle-hug, which made their height difference even more apparent.

“Hey Honoka, how’s it going?” Maki noted that her voice, much like her appearance, made this girl seem… cool. She seemed to radiate an aura of calmness that Maki felt like was needed currently, considering two of the four girls at the table were the antithesis of calm. Honoka returned to her seat as quickly as she left it, and commenced introductions. This girl was apparently called Eli, and when they made eye contact Maki felt her inner gay swoon over the smile she received. Maki made a mental note to try to not seem too outwardly gay. However, what happened next certainly didn’t help matters. 

“Hey Nico, come on over!” Eli called over to a friend just out of Maki’s sight, though as soon as the girl came into her line of vision she instantly recognised who it was – short skirt, nice legs, twintails, and eyes that were looking straight at her? Shit, she must have noticed Maki staring at her legs. So much for restraining the gay. 

“Hey Blondie, what’s up?” Twintail girl – wait, her name was Nico – stood alongside Eli and leant on her shoulder, and this time Maki _really_ noticed a difference in height. Maki’s mind immediately went to how funny they’d look as a couple, then onto how hot they’d be together because she wasn’t sober enough to ignore how attractive she found them both, then finally took a stop at wondering if they were actually a couple – because that would just be unfair and Maki wouldn’t have a chance to flirt with either of them. Yep, she was definitely starting to get just a _little_ drunk.

“These are Honoka’s friends that she mentioned before, it’s their first time here.” Maki wasn’t sure if she was exactly _friends_ with Honoka yet, they’d known each other for half an hour at most, but at the same time it wasn’t something she was opposed to. 

“First timers, huh? Well, I hope you guys enjoy it, it’s definitely a lot to take in.” As Nico spoke the final few words of her sentence, her eyes lingered on Maki’s, and suddenly Maki felt her face warm up and had to hope she wasn’t visibly blushing. 

“I’m Rin, nice to meet you Nico!” Rin’s earnest greeting distracted any attention (if there was any to begin with) away from Maki’s reddened face, to which she was silently thankful. 

“And I’m Hanayo, Honoka’s friend from cooking club, and Rin’s girlfriend. It’s lovely to meet you!” Sometimes Hanayo could be so effortlessly cute it made Maki want to throw up. But sort of in a good way, if that made any sense, and wait why was Nico looking this way again? 

“What about you, red? Gonna introduce yourself?” A hint of a smirk and a raised eyebrow appeared of Nico’s face, and once again Maki hoped her face was less red than her hair. 

“Uh… hi, I’m Maki, I’m Hanayo and Rin’s friend from school.” Well, not the most interesting or enthusiastic of greetings, but at least she managed to get out more words than she did for her introduction to Honoka earlier. After a couple of seconds, Nico’s slight smirk turned into a full smile that Maki found very pleasant to look at, and the thought flashed across her mind that she might want to see it more.

“Well, it’s great to meet you all! I’m always up for making new friends, that’s why I come here after all!” It was like a switch had been flipped, like her blunt and somewhat tactless first impression had been swept away by a burst of positivity, delivered by a voice that was smothered in sweetness, so sweet that Maki couldn’t tell if it was genuine or artificial. Either way… it was possibly (definitely) a bit _(very)_ cute. 

“Yeah, I was just telling them how easy it is to make friends here! And it’s really great to see my new friends meeting the friends I already had, I hope you guys get along well!”

“Don’t worry Honoka, I’m sure we’ll all get along great!” There, it happened again – Maki noticed Nico’s eyes focusing on her for just a second longer than was natural, and though her voice was still dripping with honey there was a slight suggestive edge to it that Maki was both intrigued and excited by. Or was Maki imagining it? It was hard to tell. 

“My drink’s empty, so I’m gonna go to the bar for another. Anyone care to join me?”

“I’ll come too, Eli. Nico isn’t anywhere near drunk enough yet for a Friday night.” Nico, who apparently referred to herself in third person, finished the remnants of her glass of something bright coloured, probably fruity and sweet, and now that Nico was about to leave Maki found herself wanting to go with her. She looked at her drink and saw that it was still nearly half full. After a brief moment of hesitation – enough to realise it wasn’t a great idea, but not enough to change her mind – Maki picked up her vodka and coke and downed the remaining contents. Yeah, that definitely felt like a lot of alcohol in one go. At least it tasted sort of nice.

“Me too, I need another drink.” Nico had already turned to walk away from the table, but Maki voicing her intention to join them made her look over her shoulder and glance at Maki. Another smile adorned her face, but this one was again different from the others she’d seen – this one felt kind and sincere, and made her heart skip a beat or two (or maybe that was the vodka).


	2. A Series of Unfortunate Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki is bad at flirting, bad at handling her alcohol (in multiple ways), and bad at generally functioning as a human.

### A Series of Unfortunate Events

The bar was substantially busier now than it was before, as was the rest of the club. Maki certainly felt anxious over the lack of personal space she had, but her anxiety was blanketed by her increased intoxication. She stood next to Nico at the bar while the raven-haired girl chatted idly to Eli about some friend of theirs, and Maki felt kind of awkward just standing there half-listening, but what else could she do? Zoning out of the conversation occurring next to her, Maki took a look at the wide selection of alcohol on offer behind the bar, featuring all kinds of spirits that she’d never tried, nor did she particularly want to. Her view of the various bottles and cans was suddenly blocked by a bartender, and it didn’t take long for Maki to realise it was the same bartender that she saw Nico talking to when they first entered. 

“Hey Nozomi, can you serve us yet? We’ve been waiting for like ten minutes here,” Nico whined. In reality, it had barely been five, but Maki still had enough of a filter in her brain to not point that out to a girl she found attractive and would possibly like to flirt with. 

“Soon, Nicocchi, just finishing serving a customer then I’ll be right over.” Nico muttered something under her breath in response, and Maki now realised she could start a conversation line that she would be able to be a part of.

“So, you know one of the bartenders here then?”

“Unfortunately. I don’t really have much of a choice, since her and Eli are _DASH!_’s biggest lesbian couple.” Maki raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could Nozomi appeared between them.

“Now now, Nicocchi, don’t pretend we’re not best friends, that hurts,” she said with a pout on her face. Nozomi then turned to Maki to explain, “we’ve been friends since high school, and we decided to go to the same university too.” She then leaned in closer and whispered, so Nico couldn’t hear, “She’s just jealous of me because I have a beautiful girlfriend and she doesn’t.” Nozomi finished her sentence with a wink, and after a slight delay in Maki’s brain to process what Nozomi might be implying, Maki felt herself blush again. Firstly, that was confirmation that Nico was single. Secondly, that seemed to also be confirmation that Nico was gay, which made Maki’s heart do a little flip (definitely a sign that she was not at all sober). Thirdly, and this may just be her alcohol-riddled state, but she almost felt like this was Nozomi’s way of saying “go for it”. Sure, she’d only just met her, but Maki had the feeling that Nozomi could read her like a book. Or maybe she’d caught Maki one of the many times she’d glanced at Nico for slightly too long in the few minutes they’d been waiting at the bar.

“Hey, don’t whisper to her so Nico can’t hear. That’s rude.” Nico frowned and rolled her eyes, “But yeah, Nozomi and I have known each other for a few years now. And now I live with her too, so I can’t really get away from her, even when I come here. She’s practically everywhere in my life.”

“And that’s why you love me, Nicocchi.”

“Gross. What’s even grosser is that Eli now spends most of the time at ours, so Nico spend most of her life these days as a third wheel.” Nico sighed dramatically, then turned to Nozomi to order a drink.

“Well, I could help you to not be a third wheel, if you’d like.” Ok, Maki didn’t actually say that out loud, but the line went through her head and she had to restrain her drunk self from blurting it out. After they all ordered drinks, the bar became quieter again, so Nozomi had time to chat with Eli. Maki saw this as an opportunity to talk to Nico one-on-one for the first time, especially now with the information that she was both gay and available.

“So Nico, do you go to Seikei university as well?” Nico’s head perked up and she smiled another honest smile, clearly this was a good conversation topic to choose. Maki mentally congratulated herself for  
still being able to think relatively straight (no pun intended).

“Yep, I’m a third year in Drama! I’m gonna become one of the best actresses in Japan!” Well, this girl definitely had no shortage of confidence, that’s for sure. Maki could work with that, confidence can be hot, in the right circumstances. Even if her natural instinct was to reply with something snarky and/or sarcastic, she would resist for the time being – now was the time for making friends, not enemies.

“That’s cool, I don’t know anyone else that does drama. It sounds really fun.”

“It is super fun! It’s kinda hard at times, some of our teachers can be really pushy and strict, but I still love it. Also, I’m a part-time model on the side, which is great experience for being in the media industry!” A model? Well, it does make some sense, Maki thought – she certainly has the looks for it. But aren’t most models typically… taller?

“Aren’t you a little short for a model?” Oh shit, did she say that out loud? An irritated frown appeared on Nico’s face, telling Maki that her filter had indeed momentarily faltered, and that her chances of getting Nico’s number had dropped by at least 20%. 

“You don’t need to be tall to be a model,” Nico replied through gritted teeth, before taking a second or two to visibly calm herself down. Then came that smile again, the one that seemed a little too forced to be genuine, producing a voice coated with artificial sugar, “It’s not being tall that makes a model good, there’s much more to it than that. Sure, generally models are people that are way too attractive than they have any right to be, but not all good-looking people can be models.” Nico leaned ever so slightly closer to Maki, her voice regaining that edge that Maki noticed before, and this time she was more sure of it, a subtle change of tone that made her face flush and her heartbeat accelerate. “It’s about being confident, about _knowing_ how good you look, about using what you’ve got.” Another movement to close the gap between them further, Maki’s heart rate dangerously high, Nico dangerously yet tantalisingly close. “And I know how to use what I’ve got.”

Maki’s brain ground to a halt, all of her usual thoughts occupied by how close Nico was, how pretty she looked, how she didn’t know what to do or say next. As her brain stopped functioning, apparently so did other parts of her body, such as her arm that was holding her drink – the glass slipped out of her hand on onto the bar counter, then came the brown liquid flying through the air, time running in slow motion. Then, as Maki’s brain switched back into gear, and time began to resume at its normal pace, she noticed Nico’s white shirt stained in multiple places, and a much larger frown on her face, accompanied by red angry eyes and a growl. 

“I’m… I-I’m so sorry… I-I didn’t m-mean to…” As Maki attempted to stutter out an apology, Nico glared at her for a few seconds, before muttering something unintelligible under her breath and marched away, visibly annoyed. And who could blame her, really? Some klutz she’s only just met has ruined what was probably one of her favourite shirts, so it was understandable that she was mad. Maki’s heart sank as Nico rounded the corner, out of sight. Those chances of getting Nico’s number had dropped down to an infinitesimally small number.

“What happened, Maki?” She heard the concern in Eli’s voice, she felt the pity that was going to come once she explained. Maki could deal with that later, right now she didn’t particularly want to talk to anyone, the company of more alcohol seemed much easier to deal with at this moment in time. Ignoring Eli’s voice call her name as she walked off, Maki made a beeline to the other bar. Hopefully another drink or two would make the rest of the night bearable.

* * *

Maki didn’t go back to the table where Rin, Hanayo and Honoka were, nor did she go anywhere near Nozomi’s bar. She went to the dancefloor, danced briefly to an Arctic Monkeys’ song she recognised but couldn’t name, then talked to a girl she didn’t know about how good the music was. The girl apologised, then left to find her friends. Maki realised her drink was empty, and went back to the non-Nozomi bar.

* * *

Maki ordered two of the cheapest shot they had, downed both awful tasting concoctions, then immediately regretted it as the vile aftertaste and the pounding in her head made her want to throw up. She went back to the table where her friends once were, but it was now empty. 

* * *

Maki sat at the table, waiting for her friends to come back. She stopped paying attention to the music, or to the strangers that sat at her table, until another shot was thrust in front of her. She didn’t even hesitate.

* * *

Maki danced to a song she could barely focus on, other than the beat that she moved her hips to, her senses dominated by the low bass tones and the bright flashing lights. 

* * *

Maki was on the floor, drink spilled, head now hurting even more than earlier. She looked up to see ruby eyes from afar, those lovely legs running towards her, then strawberry-scented perfume filled her nose as she was lifted up from the floor. Walking in a straight line was suddenly very difficult, but with the support of the smaller girl to her side, she persevered. Maki recalled the look of concern on Nico’s face as she ran over, and simultaneously felt the joy from Nico caring and the guilt from knowing that it was her fault that Nico was in distress. 

* * * 

Water had never tasted so good. Slouched against the wall of the smoker’s area outside DASH!, Maki felt the pounding in her head begin to subside, and her senses became much clearer than they were previously. Nico was stood next to her, but Maki couldn’t bring herself to look up from embarrassment of the state she was in. Hopefully a fissure would suddenly open up in the ground and swallow her whole before Nico spoke. She waited for a few moments for Nico to say something, but when she remained silent, Maki slowly panned her vision upwards. Nico was looking at her, but instead of the anger or disappointment she’d expected, there was genuine concern and worry etched onto her face. Maki looked into Nico’s eyes for just a second, then decided staring at the ground was easier, and less unsettling. Not only did Maki feel embarrassed, she felt like an idiot for putting herself in this state, and now not only had she ruined her own night, she’d ruined Nico’s even more – as if dousing her in vodka and coke wasn’t enough. All Maki had done tonight was humiliate herself. 

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and all Maki felt at first was shock – she almost never cried, even the one time she failed a test when she was nine years old, or when she fell out with one of her best friends when she was twelve. All she wanted to do tonight was have fun for once, to distract herself from her studies and enjoy time with her friends, and she’d fucked it up. As the tears fell from her eyes and landed on the pavement below them, Maki felt a soft hand atop hers, and she raised her head to see Nico kneeling beside her. Something inside Maki’s heart twinged, and she fell into Nico’s arms, letting her tears flow more freely as she wrapped her arms around Nico’s slender figure. For a while, they didn’t move, nor did they say a single word, all they did was hold each other like it was all they could do.

* * *

“How are you feeling?” 

“Better. My head hurts a bit and I still kinda want the ground to swallow me up, but on the bright side I don’t feel like throwing up and I’ve stopped crying. So… better.” They both were now sat on the ground outside, backs to the wall, both tired and sobering slowly. 

“Good.” Nico turned her head slightly towards Maki and smiled softly. “I’m sorry for storming off earlier. I wanted to try to clean my shirt in the bathroom straight away, and I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to snap at you, because I thought that would make things worse. I went looking for you afterwards but couldn’t find you, until… well, you know.” Her smile faltered and she moved her gaze away from Maki. “Sorry. It was probably my fault that your night ended up like this.”

“What? It’s not your fault at all!” Maki didn’t realise she was shouting until a few heads were turned towards them, causing Maki to shrink back and look down at the floor, blushing once again. “All of this is my fault,” she spoke so quietly that Nico could barely hear her, “I was upset and angry at myself, and the only way I could think to deal with it was getting wasted, apparently. All I did was ruin my own night, and yours, and Rin and Hanayo are probably worried about me as well.” 

“Nah, you didn’t ruin my night.” Maki looked up to see Nico grinning, which should have seemed out of place during a conversation like this, yet it felt so right to see it. It was a smile that already felt familiar, and it made Maki feel… safe. “Sure, seeing you collapsed on the dance floor was scary, and my shirt might be stained, but at least I got to meet you.” Maki’s blush deepened by several shades. “And obviously, you were lucky enough to meet me, so your night wasn’t ruined either!” Nico accompanied her statement with a hand gesture that she made with both hands, using her pinky finger, index finger and thumb. Maki had no idea what it meant, but it looked silly and also incredibly cute (much like Nico in general, Maki thought). Regardless, Maki rolled her eyes at Nico’s comment, Nico giggled, and Maki realised that perhaps she was right – her night wasn’t ruined yet. 

“I mean, when you put it that way, I guess you’re right. I got to meet a pretty cute girl, and even though I’ve been an absolute mess and I ruined her shirt, she still wants to talk to me for some reason. So maybe I’ve been doing something right.” This time it was Nico who was blushing, and for once she didn’t have a response instantly lined up, which made Maki proud of herself. She had never been this good at flirting before (as her attempt earlier in the night had shown). Alcohol does strange things to a person.

Nico recovered from her blush and giggled again. “That’s the spirit! And yeah, I’d say you’ve been doing something right, maybe even a few things. Then again, with how pretty you are, it’s not like you have to do much else really. It’s not every day I see someone this stunning in a place like this.” Nico raised an eyebrow and smirked, and Maki realised she had no hope in keeping up with her in this game of theirs – she got flustered way too easily to stand a chance against Nico’s quick wit. Before Nico made her into even more of an embarrassed mess than she already was, Maki decided it was time to ask for something she’d wanted all night. 

“Well, if you think I’m so pretty, I guess you won’t have a problem with giving me your number then?” Maki took out her phone and offered it, Nico grinned and took it instantly.

“Very smooth, Maki. I’m impressed. And I don’t get impressed by someone easily.” She punctuated her statement with a wink, making Maki’s heart do _things_ that her doctor parents would probably be concerned by. Nico quickly punched in her digits and handed the phone back. “See? I’d call this a good night. Hopefully next time will be even better.” Evidently, Nico was very good at being suggestive, and now Maki’s brain and heart were both in danger of short-circuiting. Suddenly Maki spotted Hanayo, Rin and Honoka over Nico’s shoulder, and she was simultaneously glad to see them and disappointed that their flirting would have to continue another time.

“Maki! There you are! We’ve been so worried!” Rin threw herself at Maki, almost crushing her on the ground, and Maki might have been annoyed if she wasn’t so relieved to see her friends again, having not seen them for at least two hours. 

“Are you ok? You look a bit pale…” Hanayo was visibly worried and Maki felt another pang of guilt. 

“Don’t worry, I’m ok. I had a little too much to drink, but I’ve had some water and I’m feeling better now.” Despite her headache persisting, she actually meant it too – she felt much better, just from a small conversation with Nico. For once, her smile was truly genuine, and she once again thought about Nico’s grin that she’d already become very fond of. Well, it was a scientific fact that smiling was contagious, and Maki had never encountered a smile so… enamouring. So captivating. So… _Nico_.

“That’s good! I hope you’ve had a good night, I know I have!” Maki found Honoka’s enthusiasm welcome, and somewhat familiar already, most likely due to how similar it was to Rin’s. She looked at the four girls around her, including Rin who had only just detached herself from Maki, and felt a sense of… belonging. A feeling she hadn’t earnestly felt for quite some time.

“Do you guys want to stay for much longer? I’m getting kinda tired,” Hanayo piped up, seemingly having to stop herself from yawning. Maki glanced at Nico, and although she was tired and desperately wanted to lie down, she found herself not wanting to leave yet. However, Nico met her gaze and seemingly read her mind.

“I think I’m gonna head home soon. Nico needs her beauty sleep.” (Maki disagreed, it might be impossible for Nico to be any prettier). “Besides, Maki needs rest after the night she’s had.” Another sly wink in Maki’s direction. Nico was right, but not chiefly because of the alcohol – her heart needed a rest before it exploded from being exposed to Nico’s… charisma, that seemed like the best word Maki could come up with without giving Nico too much credit.

“Yeah, I could do with some sleep. We should probably get going.” 

Rin was still seemingly full of energy, and pouted when she realised she was in the minority of wanting to stay longer. “Aww. I was having fun, I hope we can come back here soon.” She wrapped herself around her girlfriend from behind, making Hanayo squeak in surprise. “But if you wanna sleep babe, then let’s go home and snuggle!” Gross. Maki wished she had someone to snuggle. Peering at Nico out of the corner of her eye, she considered that maybe she would soon.

* * *

M: Hope you get home safe!

M: (This is Maki btw)

N: Eli and I just got back. Eli says she’s glad you’re ok after your fall

M: Tell her I said thanks, and also sorry for ignoring her when she was calling after me (>人<)

N: No need to apologise, she understands. Also now she’s moaning about Nozomi still being in work. Some people have no respect for those single and lonely (；一_一)

M: I know how you feel, I’ve been third-wheeling Rin and Hanayo for over two years now. It’s gross

N: *gasp* You’re telling me no-one has been taken in by your charm before? I would have thought spilling drinks on cute girls would have worked before you met Nico (~_^)

M: Most people that have hit on me until now have been boys that are worth less than the drink I spilled on you. Clearly I don’t give off enough gay vibes ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

N: You seem pretty gay to me. Though that might be because you couldn’t stop staring at pretty little Nico (¬‿¬)

M: (°ロ°)☝

M: ⚆ _ ⚆

N: (~_^) Sweet dreams, Maki.


	3. A Lesson in Confidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki worries too much, Rin tries her best, and Hanayo is the real MVP.

### A Lesson in Confidence

Maki woke with a headache much worse than the one she went to sleep with. After lying in bed for what seemed like hours (but in reality was fifteen minutes) she dragged herself out of bed and intended to go straight to her medicine cabinet, hoping her strongest painkillers would do the trick. Her body had other ideas, however, as the room started spinning as soon as Maki stood up, so she decided it was safer to sit back down on her bed. Maki noticed that the light shining through her curtains seemed excessively bright, she was possibly more thirsty than she had been in her entire life (well, apart from how Nico made her feel the night before), and she was starting to feel sick again. She closed her eyes and lay back down on her bed. So this was what being hungover felt like.

M: I feel like death

N: Good morning to you too, sunshine. (◕‿◕✿) This your first hangover?

M: How do people get drunk without wanting to die the next morning?

N: Gotta drink water before you go to bed. If you didn’t, go do that now, it’ll help a lot. Guessing you’re not a regular drinker then?

M: You could say that. I never wanna drink again

N: That’s what they all say. You just gotta be more careful next time, learn to pace yourself like Nico (◠ω◠✿)

M: Who said there’s gonna be a next time?

N: I think we both know there is (~_^) I’ll be at _DASH!_ next Friday, Honoka and Eli will be too

M: …I’ll consider it.

N: It’s a date ★~(◠ω◕✿)

Maki knew Nico was joking but the message still made her start sweating nervously. Or maybe that was the hangover.

* * *

Maki spent her weekend doing mostly three things: studying, messaging Nico, and thinking about Nico. Well, she slept for a while too, but when she did Nico was present in her dreams, so that still counted. At one point she wondered if it was normal to think so much about someone she’d met once, realised it probably wasn’t, then started feeling very self-conscious. What if Nico didn’t like her in the same way that she liked Nico? In what way _did_ she like Nico? 

Truth be told, Maki had only experienced a couple of small crushes in the past – the first on a high school friend whom she was too nervous to tell (and at that point Maki wasn’t even certain if she was gay herself, let alone out of the closet), and the second on a senior at her high school that she had only talked to once or twice. Neither of those crushes felt like this. This was exciting, exhilarating, _electrifying_ – all words that could also describe Nico – but also made her feel more nervous than any test she’d studied for in her life. 

Furthermore, Nico probably didn’t feel the same way, she was probably more used to flirting and dating, and so wouldn’t have such a huge crush on someone she’d just met. Or was that just the self-doubt talking? At this stage of overthinking, Maki couldn’t tell, her thoughts were too jumbled and scattered, and so full of everything _Nico_.

Maki was still deep in thought when she literally walked into Hanayo in the street outside their university on Monday morning.

“Oh shit, sorry Hanayo, I didn’t see you there. How are you today?” Hanayo took a moment to recollect herself, brushing dust off her long blue coat.

“Hey Maki, I’m good, just on my way to meet Rin for coffee. How are you? You look a little… tired?” Damn, Maki was hoping she wouldn’t notice. She’d only slept for two or three hours, because obviously her brain decided a better use of her time was to lie in bed and listen to music that only made her think about Nico more – and the more she thought about Nico, the more full of energy she felt, and that made it almost impossible to sleep.

“Yeah, I… didn’t have the best night’s sleep. But hey, I’ve had my morning coffee, that’ll keep me going through the day.”

“Oh, I hope you sleep better tonight. Are you still recovering from Friday?” That question was difficult to answer for Maki. Physically, she was absolutely fine – her hangover had only lasted a day, thankfully. Mentally, she had a case of the Nico, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever recover.

“Yeah, maybe a bit. I had a good time though. I just need to learn to… moderate myself, before I end up face down on the dance floor again.”

“That sounds like a good plan. Do you want to go back to _DASH!_ sometime soon? Rin said she’s really excited to go there again, she had a great time! Oh, and so did I, even though there were so many people there…” Hanayo shuffled nervously, she had never been great with crowds or large amounts of people, but she had coped well with it on Friday. Maki was a little proud of her for that, Hanayo would never have been able to be around that many people when they first met three years ago at the start of high school. Then again, the alcohol they drank before they even went out probably helped Hanayo’s nerves, since it helped Maki to be more confident than usual (until Nico matched her confidence, and then went leagues above it).

“That’s true, it was pretty busy by the end. Nico mentioned that she’s gonna be there next Friday, Honoka and Eli are too. So maybe we could go again then?”

“Hmm, you’re pretty close to Nico already, aren’t you?” Hanayo giggled at the instant blush that spread across Maki’s cheeks, betrayed by her face before Maki even had the chance to deny it.

“I mean… yeah, we chatted a bit at the weekend, that’s all.” Obviously, Maki was understating how much of the weekend she had actually spent messaging Nico, or trying to think of how to respond to one of Nico’s messages, or thinking of new conversation topics… but Hanayo didn’t need to know any of that.

“Aww, that’s cute. I’m glad the two of you are getting along so well.” Maki’s blush deepened by a shade or two. “Anyway, I’ve got to get going now, Rin’s probably waiting for me. Friday sounds good, I’ll see if Rin’s available, I’m sure she’ll be super excited to go back again already. See you soon, Maki!” Hanayo dashed down the street, leaving Maki with a red face and more thoughts of Nico.

* * *

Maki couldn’t decide what to wear. She was meant to be meeting Rin and Hanayo at their flat in twenty minutes before they went to _DASH!_ together, yet here she was staring at five shirts, three skirts and two dresses sprawled out over her bed. On top of being unable to settle on an outfit choice, Maki was annoyed at herself for being so indecisive, as typically she was quick to dress herself. She told herself that this was because she didn’t care what others think, but in reality she thought she looked good in most of her clothes, since her parents had given her a relatively large shopping budget before moving to university. 

Of course, Maki knew why she was finding it much harder to choose what to wear now – she wasn’t used to dressing to impress someone, let alone a drama student and model who almost definitely possessed a superior fashion sense to herself. Deep down, Maki also knew that she was overthinking far too much again, but despite knowing that she remained worried that she would pick something that wasn’t “in fashion”, or wouldn’t look right at somewhere like _DASH!_, or would somehow give off the wrong vibe. 

Maki paused, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. She whipped out her phone, texted Hanayo that she’d be there in half an hour, then grabbed a white crop top and a red and black plaid long-sleeved shirt from her bed. Suddenly having an idea, Maki grabbed a pair of short black shorts, a white belt and black stockings from her drawers and tried the outfit on. She took one look in the mirror and grinned. Tonight, confident Maki was going to make a rare appearance. Nico wouldn’t know what hit her.

* * *

Maki was only a couple of minutes from Rin and Hanayo’s flat when she received a message that instantly dented her confidence. There was no text in the message, only a picture of Nico, dressed in what was presumably her outfit for the night. She was also wearing a white crop top, with a small black leather jacket on top, accompanied by an adorable black skirt with pink plaid trim, and a white belt similar to Maki’s. It was like she’d taken Maki’s outfit and made it slightly better in every way, and with how cute Nico was regardless, she looked absolutely… Maki looked up and realised she’d already walked way past the door to Rin and Hanayo’s building. She quickly retraced her steps and found her way to the door of their flat. Rin was at the door less than two seconds after Maki knocked.

“Hey Maki! Wow, you look incredible! Babe, come see how cute Maki looks!” Maki blushed, but she did need a confidence boost after being subjected to possibly the cutest thing she’d ever seen just moments ago. Hanayo quickly appeared from the kitchen, glass in hand – understandably, they hadn’t waited for Maki to arrive before starting to drink. 

“Oh wow, you do look great, I love the shirt! Come and sit down, I’ll pour you a drink.” Maki mumbled her thankfulness for her friends’ compliments and obeyed. 

“Hanayo’s mom sent us some wine as a present for starting university, so we’re having some tonight before we go out!” Rin sat on the sofa opposite Maki, while Hanayo poured a glass of white wine, made by some foreign company Maki had never heard of. Maki once again mumbled her thanks and took a sip, and found that she didn’t mind the taste, which came as a surprise – she’d tried wine before at some family meals and gatherings, and as a result she’d grown to associate wine with her boring, stuck-up family members, so this fruitier tasting wine came as a nice surprise. 

Once again her phone buzzed, also containing a sole picture – this time the image was Nico taking a selfie, her free hand making the same hand gesture she used last Friday. Eli and Nozomi were in the background, each smiling broadly at the camera with a glass in hand. Maki recalled Nico mentioning that Nozomi had the night off, so she was able to join Nico and Eli on their night out, which was apparently a rare occurrence. Rin caught Maki smiling at her phone and tilted her head quizzically. 

“Hey Maki, what you smiling at? Can I see?” Maki instantly felt nervous, but she wasn’t really sure why. It was simply a photo of their friends, why should it make her feel nervous to show Rin? Maki turned her phone around to show Rin the picture, and Rin responded with a giggle. 

“So you’ve been messaging Nico then, Maki?” Ah, so maybe that’s why she felt nervous. Maki did her best to fight off the incoming blush.

“Uhh, a little bit, I guess.” Maki was not good under pressure.

“Aww, that’s adorable, Maki has a cruuush~!” Maki lost her battle against the redness that now enveloped her face. She opened her mouth to deny it, but in reality it was pointless – both Rin and Hanayo knew her well enough to know when she was lying. Besides, she didn’t really feel the need to hide it from these two, maybe it would be nice to actually talk about it.

“I mean… maybe.” Maki’s voice was very small, so quiet that her friends could barely hear. Rin clearly wasn’t expecting her to admit it so quickly, and for once the ginger girl was lost for words. In the time they’d known each other, Maki had not once spoken of having feelings for anyone, so this revelation was somewhat of a shock. Hanayo sat down besides Rin, a kind smile on her face.

“So you really like her, huh?” Hanayo spoke softly, as if Maki was a child or a wild animal that could flee at any moment. Maki replied with a small nod. “It’s scary, right? Liking someone and not knowing how they feel about you?” Another nod, this one marginally more confident. Hanayo took this as her cue to continue. “So… is this a new feeling for you?”

“Um… yeah, I guess so. I mean, I’ve had small crushes before, but nothing that felt… like this.” Maki looked down at her feet at frowned. “It’s dumb, I’ve only met her once, I don’t know why I feel this way already. She’d probably think I’m weird if she found out I already really like her.” Hanayo opened her mouth to speak again, but Rin cut her off.

“That’s stupid!” Rin’s exclamation compelled Maki to look up, and Hanayo gasped at her girlfriend’s sudden interjection. “Thinking like that won’t help, it’ll just make you sad. There’s no point worrying about how she feels when you have no idea. Who knows, she might even really like you back!” Maki shrank back into her seat, now beginning to regret admitting her crush. Hanayo placed a hand on Rin’s arm to calm her down slightly.

“What Rin means is… try not to overthink things too much. She might be feeling the same way, the only way you’ll find out is if you talk to her. I know it feels weird right now, but having a crush is exciting as well. Try to embrace that part of it, the part where you feel happy just by looking at her or being with her or even just thinking about her, because that’s what makes having a crush feel amazing.” Hanayo turned towards Rin, a wide smile on her face. All Rin could do at first was stare back, in awe of the inspiring advice she’d given Maki, before she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and hugged her tight.

“I love you, Hanayo.”

“I love you too.”

Maki simply watched her best friends hug, thinking how she was lucky to have two amazing best friends, and how lucky they were to have each other. Even though she absolutely felt like a third wheel at this moment in time, she was truly happy that her friends were together, and that they were so open about it. They were unapologetically deeply in love with each other, to the extent that it genuinely warmed Maki’s heart. Maki wanted to feel that. She wanted to be in love. Hanayo was right – even just thinking about Nico made her happy, so why not embrace it? Why not focus on the happiness she felt just from texting Nico, instead of the doubt and nerves that had been clouding her mind for the past week?

Rin finally released Hanayo, both of them gazing lovingly at each other for a few seconds before remembering that Maki was indeed still there. It was now Hanayo’s turn to blush, seemingly returning to her normal timidity after her outburst of positivity. Maki chuckled at the change from sanguine to sheepish. 

“I love both of you idiots.” Maki took a long drink from her glass, feeling her earlier confidence return, all thanks to her friends.

“We love you too, Maki.” Hanayo smiled shyly, also taking a drink.

“Hey Maki, we should send Nico a picture back of the three of us! I’m sure she’d love that!” Rin jumped up, visibly excited at her own idea. She was right, Nico would appreciate that. Maki took out her phone, moved over to Rin and Hanayo’s sofa, and the three girls posed for a selfie. Hanayo smiled reservedly, Rin put her arm around her girlfriend and gave a thumbs up, and Maki copied Nico’s hand gesture. A few minutes after Maki sent the picture, Nico replied.

N: Cute. Love the outfit. See you later x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I meant to mention at the beginning of the story; I'm aware the legal drinking age in Japan is 20, but in my country it's 18, so I decided to go with that for simplicity's sake. Hope you all are enjoying the ride so far, I know I am!


	4. A Million Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a genius medical student struggles with basic human interactions.

### A Million Thoughts

_“Why do we like to hurt so much?  
That’s what you get when you let your heart win!”_

Hanayo quietly sang along to her favourite Paramore song as she sat down at the same table as the previous week, Rin and Maki in tow. The trio had arrived earlier this time, so _DASH!_ was relatively barren for the time being. 

“Man, it’s really empty in here. It’s weird seeing a club with barely any people in.” Maki looked around the side room they were in and saw that Rin was correct – there was almost no-one else in sight.

“Yeah, I hope we didn’t get here too early, I didn’t ask Honoka when she was planning on getting here.” Hanayo looked apologetic, but Maki didn’t mind really, it was nice to be able to listen to the music without the background clatter of too many people either conversing idly or screaming along to one of the many My Chemical Romance songs the DJ was likely to play. That being said, she could hear a loud voice somewhere deeper in the club, one that was recognisable somehow. The voice was seemingly becoming closer, and louder. Too loud. Oh, of course.

“Hey guys! Glad to see you here again!” Honoka barrelled around the corner, drink in hand, more energy than the rest of the club combined. Following behind her, far more discretely, were two girls Maki didn’t recognise, one with blue hair and one with light brown. As she did before, Honoka took it upon herself to carry out the introductions. “These are my friends Umi and Kotori, they’ve been my best friends ever since we were kids! Guys, this is Hanayo, Rin, and Maki!” Umi nodded politely and Kotori gave a cheerful wave. The six of them squeezed onto the same table, with Honoka sat very closely to Maki. So far, Honoka seemed like a very kind and friendly person to Maki, but she did wish the girl was a few decibels quieter. She’d heard jet engines that were less deafening. 

Rin, eager to start a conversation as always, asked the two new girls about what courses they studied. Umi revealed herself to be a business studies major, which already made sense to Maki – Umi seemed very well-mannered and rather formal, which made Maki wonder how she became friends with someone as… unruly as Honoka. Kotori introduced herself as a fashion design student, which also didn’t come as a surprise – her outfit was excellent, with her jacket, skirt and knee-high socks all themed with yellow and black colouring. Topping off her look was a grey tie on a plain white shirt, which tied the outfit together nicely. 

Maki realised she had been staring for slightly too long at Kotori’s clothes, but when she looked away in embarrassment, she realised she wasn’t the only person that had been staring. Umi, who was sat directly opposite Kotori, had been staring at the same girl whilst the other girls chatted about Kotori’s degree. Whereas Maki had been staring in admiration of her fashion sense, she got the feeling that Umi was staring for… other reasons. The look of affection and want in her eyes, the way her eyes lingered on Kotori’s face when the other girl was looking away, all the signs were there. Maki knew a gay when she saw one. Speaking of gay…

“Nico has arrived! Please, no pictures, even though I do look fabulous!” Nico sauntered in, doing her best over-the-top routine, and Maki rolled her eyes – as did practically everyone else there. Eli and Nozomi followed closely behind.

“Please Nicocchi, we all know the best dressed person here is Maki. You told us so yourself an hour or two ago, no?” Maki wasn’t sure whether to blush or laugh at Nozomi’s jab. If Nozomi was telling the truth, and Nico truly had complimented her outfit, then maybe all her time spent worrying about what to wear was worth it. Nico whipped her head around to glare at Nozomi, and Maki realised Nico’s face was also tinted red.

“Really Nozomi? We’ve been here for all of two minutes and you’re already being an ass?”

“Come now Nicocchi, I was merely being truthful, maybe you should do that sometime.” This time Nico was the one to roll her eyes.

“Eli, can’t you control your girlfriend?” Nico whined.

“Absolutely not. Even if I could, why would I? It’s funnier watching you suffer.” 

Nico grumbled, “Damn lesbians won’t give Nico a break,” as Nozomi wrapped her arms around Eli’s waist and cuddled her from behind. Everyone at the table giggled, and Nico suddenly remembered other people were in the room and turned to greet the table again. As Nico’s eyes scanned the table quickly, they once again lingered on Maki, a soft smile forming on her lips.

* * *

The nine girls relocated to the smaller bar for drinks, choosing to stand and chat rather than stay at the tables. Maki had been dragged into a conversation with Honoka and Kotori about music, and she found that Honoka was much more bearable when talking about something she was passionate about – she talked with an eagerness much like how she did otherwise, but with something to focus her energy on Honoka was actually quite enjoyable to talk to. Kotori was a bit on the quiet side, which was something Maki could relate to, but she also seemed incredibly kind-hearted and genuine, both qualities that Maki could appreciate. 

Occasionally Maki would glance over to Nico, who was engrossed in a conversation with Hanayo about their favourite pop-punk band called “A-RISE” that Hanayo talked about frequently (Maki thought they were decent, but didn’t really understand the fuss). For some reason, instead of the confidence she felt earlier, Maki now felt nervous whenever she looked over, hence why she hadn’t yet said a word to Nico since she arrived. She knew that she should really go and talk to Nico, she wanted to flirt more as she had done (with limited success) the previous Friday, but whenever she thought about doing so, Maki felt skittish and on-edge. Why was it so difficult to feel confident enough to simply talk to her?

Maki’s train of thought was broken as she felt two pairs of eyes upon her, realising she had probably been asked a question by Honoka while she was trying to analyse her own behaviour. “Um, sorry, I sort of zoned out there. What was that?”

“No need to apologise! I asked whether you were gonna go see A-RISE when they play in town in a few weeks?” Apparently everyone but Maki was into them, she thought.

“Uhh, maybe, I didn’t know they were coming to town.” Hanayo had almost certainly mentioned it at some point, but Maki tended to stop paying attention whenever Hanayo started talking about some band that she’d barely heard of. 

“I’m so excited, I love their music, I’ve been listening to them ever since they released their first song but I’ve never had the chance to see them live until now!” Honoka was practically bouncing, struggling to contain her energy.

“I’m going too, Honoka showed me their music and I really liked it.” Hmm, if Kotori liked them then maybe Maki should give them a go. Oddly, even though she met Kotori twenty minutes ago, she already trusted her opinion on music a lot more than Honoka’s.

“Hey, are you guys talking about A-RISE too?” Hanayo had overheard their conversation (which wasn’t difficult when Honoka was involved) and was on her way over, Nico in tow. This was the closest Maki had been to Nico all night. Why did she feel nervous? Her outfit really did look beautiful. And so did she. Somehow she looked even better than last week, which was no easy feat (before the spillage). And Nico’s eyes still had that same glint, as if they were made of rubies, the light reflecting off their brilliant shining surface. Why did she feel so fucking nervous? 

“Hey, does anyone else want another drink?” Rin piped up from somewhere Maki couldn’t focus on right now, and Maki reflexively took the chance. 

“Y-yeah sure, I’ll get one.” Without giving Nico another glance, Maki dashed straight to the bar, where Rin joined her. She had to get out of that situation, she didn’t feel right. Her nerves were building up to a point beyond anything she’d experienced before. What was wrong with her?

“Hey Maki, are you alright?” Concerned words from Rin, accompanied by worried eyes, snapped Maki out of her stupor. 

“I’m fine. I really could do with another drink though.” Maki was mindful of what happened last week – she was in no rush to repeat how drunk she got that night. She would make an effort to pace herself this time. But still, this time she really did need a drink. 

* * *

After paying for their drinks, Maki and Rin agreed that they both wanted some fresh air, so they went outside to the smoker’s area (where the air wasn’t exactly that fresh). At this point, Maki needed some distance from Nico, to calm herself down. She still didn’t understand what was going on – she obviously really liked Nico, yet currently the last thing she wanted to do was talk to her. Did Nico want to talk to her? She hadn’t really made any effort to do so yet, but Maki hadn’t exactly made things easy by running off. Maki sighed and ran her hand through her hair, feeling stressed despite the alcohol in her system. 

“Are you sure you’re ok? You look… tense.” Rin was right, she did probably look as anxious as she felt.

“Yeah. I think I just needed some fresh air.” Maki didn’t like lying, but she didn’t want to explain what her mind was going through currently. She wasn’t sure whether she could even if she tried. Rin simply nodded, she probably saw straight through Maki’s lie, and if she did then Maki was thankful that she didn’t ask any more questions. 

“Hey, do either of you guys smoke?” Rin and Maki turned to see Eli leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand, eyebrow raised.

“Nope. Not my sort of thing, really.” Maki had read enough about what cigarettes do to people’s lungs, and since she preferred her lungs to be working, she had never been interested in smoking.

“Me neither. I do a lot of running at university, so smoking wouldn’t be the best idea.” Rin had been accepted to Seikei university on a sports scholarship, since she was very talented at running and jumping.

“Fair enough. You’re both smarter than me then.” Eli took a slow drag from her cigarette. “Nozomi wants me to quit. I mean, I want myself to quit too. But quitting is hard once you start.” She scratched the back of her head ruefully with her free hand. “So how do you guys like _DASH!_ so far? Pretty cool, right?” Even though Maki had been sceptical at first, and still was to some degree, she was starting to warm up to _DASH!_ (and not just because she met Nico here, she promises).

“Yeah, it’s cool. It’s nice to hear such good music in a club. The people here seem really nice too.” Eli raised an eyebrow at Maki’s final remark, but didn’t comment on it.

“The people here are great!” Rin added. “I’m glad Honoka invited us here, all of her friends are really kind. I hope we keep coming here for a long time!” Maki was glad to see Rin so enthusiastic about this place already. Obviously, Rin being enthusiastic wasn’t abnormal by any stretch, but it warmed Maki’s heart that Rin was enjoying herself so much already. Eli grinned and took another drag.

“Well, we’d be happy to see you guys here as often as you want to come. I’ve been coming here for over a year and a half now, and it’s nice to see some fresh faces in here. Heck, Nozomi and Nico have been coming here even longer than me.” Maki perked up at the mention of Nico.

“Did you meet them here? Or did you already know them before you came here?” Maki asked, suddenly curious about how Nico knew Eli and Nozomi.

“Well, there’s a story to tell here. I first met Nozomi on campus a few months into my first year here. She worked part-time in a university café that I went to, and one time when she was serving me she spilled my tea on my table. She went to get some napkins, came back to clean it up, then when she was finished she gave me an extra napkin with her phone number on. A few days later we started dating.” 

Rin gasped audibly, covering her cheeks with her hands. “Oh my God, that’s so cute! You guys are adorable!” 

Eli chuckled, looking up at the sky briefly before turning back to Rin and Maki. “I guess it is a pretty cute story. She told me later that she spilled the tea on purpose. She had it all planned out.” Another puff from her diminishing cigarette. “A couple of weeks after we started dating, Nozomi told me about this place. She took me here for a date and I fell in love with it pretty quickly. Just like I did with her.” Rin squeaked again, unable to contain her emotions, but she refrained from speaking to let Eli continue. “I first met Nico on the first night I came here. Her and Nozomi have been friends since high school, and they’re very close, even though Nico often won’t admit that. They live together in a flat, but I basically live there too these days.” Eli took a final drag, then threw her stub on the ground and stomped it out. “So that’s the story of how I know them. How about you guys? How did you meet?” 

“Well,” Maki began, “Rin and Hanayo have known each other since they were little kids. They’ve always gone to the same schools together, all the way from elementary school until now.”

“Then we met Maki at the start of high school. She was sat by herself in the school cafeteria and she looked lonely, so we sat with her. We’ve been best friends ever since!” Rin wrapped an arm around Maki’s shoulders and her cheeks turned red. Rin was right, she was lonely back then. For the first few days at high school she didn’t know anyone, and she didn’t make an effort to talk to anyone either. Maki remembered feeling a combination of anxious and apathetic at the time, simultaneously worried about not making friends while a part of her believed she didn’t really need any. That was until that day where she saw a ginger girl approach her table and sit down, her brunette friend in tow. The ginger explained that she wanted to keep Maki company, and although Maki’s initial reaction was confusion, she warmed up to the girls once the brunette asked what kind of music she was into. After that day, they sat at the same table for lunch almost every day for the rest of high school.

Eli giggled at Maki’s flushed cheeks. “Cute. Rin, you’re dating Hanayo right? How did that happen then?” Now it was Rin’s turn to blush, a rare sight that could only be achieved by Hanayo or the mention of her name.

“U-uh... that’s sort of a long story…” Rin was fidgeting noticeably, the blush spreading. Maki decided it was her turn to embarrass her friend.

“They were in love with each other for years but didn’t tell each other until I helped them out.”

“Maki!”

“What? It’s true. You told me you had feelings for Hanayo, then I talked to her and found out she felt the same, so I locked you in a room together and didn’t let you come out until you actually talked about it.” At this point Eli was lost in full-blown laughter, drawing the attention of some smokers around them. Rin’s blush spread further, for once she was completely speechless. Normally she didn’t get this embarrassed when Maki brought it up, but the fact that they were in public combined with the alcohol in Rin’s system meant that she was incredibly flustered. Maki might have felt bad if it wasn’t so funny.

“I-I’m gonna g-get another drink.” Rin quickly dashed inside before waiting for a reaction from Maki and Eli, and Maki started finding Eli’s laughter contagious.

“You think she’ll be ok?” Eli asked in between fits of giggles. 

“Yeah, she’ll get over it. I’m glad I could get her all embarrassed like that, normally she’s the one who does it to me. She did it earlier when we were talking about…” Maki trailed off when she realised what she was about to say. Unfortunately, Eli appeared to be able to read minds.

“When you were talking about Nico?” Maki opened her mouth to deny it, then realised there wasn’t really much point. “Yeah, I thought so. She’s been talking enough about you the past week, I had a feeling you might have been doing the same.” Wait what?

“Nico’s been… talking about me?” Eli grinned, clearly enjoying this line of conversation.

“A little bit, yeah. Why, do you want her to talk about you?”

“I… um…” Obviously Maki did, and Eli could clearly see right through her, but Maki was finding it difficult to formulate thoughts in her head right now, let alone form a sentence. Eli started giggling again.  
“Okay okay, I’ll stop teasing now. You might be even easier to fluster than Nico is.” Of course, this comment made Maki even more flustered. “But for real, Nico definitely took a shine to you last week. Apparently her type is cute girls who spill drinks on her then collapse on the dance floor. Oh, speak of the devil…” As Maki’s face was reaching peak crimson, she turned to see Nico and Nozomi approaching. Oh no.

“Which one of us is the devil, Elicchi? I’m sure you’ve called both of us that many times before.” Nozomi put her hands on her hips, grinning.

“It can apply to either, really. In this instance, however, it was Nico.” Both Nozomi and Nico took a glance at Maki’s blushing face, and Maki swore she could feel steam leaving her ears.

“Have you been bothering poor Maki here? That’s not very nice of you is it, Elicchi?” Nozomi quickly moved around Eli, hugging her from behind and whispering into her ear. “Especially when you know I can tease you much more.”

“N-Nozomi! Don’t do that here!” The effect Nozomi had on Eli was fascinating to watch, Eli had been reduced from her usual cool and calm self to a blushing mess in a matter of seconds. Maki had almost forgotten Nico was there, until she piped up.

“Ugh, gross. You lesbians need to get a room.” Nozomi’s grin widened, and she briefly detached herself from her girlfriend.

“Oh Nicocchi, that’s the plan for later. You should know that, after all, our room is right next to yours.” Nico scowled at Nozomi, then hooked her arm through Maki’s, catching the latter off guard.

“Come on Maki, let’s go talk over there, we’ll leave these pervs to themselves.” Before Maki could respond, Nico was whisking her away to the other side of the smoking area. Maki’s mind starting racing again. What did Nico want to talk about? Had she realised that Maki had been avoiding her? Had Maki actually been avoiding her? It was hard to tell. And after a week of not seeing her, Nico was _here_, right next to Maki, and even being this close to her felt intoxicating, even more so than the alcohol.

“So, how was your week?” Maki’s brain momentarily ground to a halt, it was almost like the gears had been whirring at triple speed and now they had suddenly been jammed by a simple question. Maki had been preparing to defend herself if Nico had indeed asked why Maki had been ignoring her, and now her brain was struggling to process a reply to the most straightforward of questions.

Nico tilted her head quizzically as Maki just stared back at her, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. “Earth to Maki. Anyone in there?” Maki gave her head a quick shake, as if she was trying to rattle the gears back into motion.

“Yeah, sorry. It was good, I guess. You should know, I talked to you about it often enough.” Maki had indeed updated Nico on most of her week via text, though it hadn’t exactly been interesting– lectures and studying weren’t exactly the most fascinating topics of conversation.

“Good point. Well done on doing well in your first test, by the way.” Maki was both surprised and pleased that Nico had remembered about her test on the human anatomy.

“Oh, thanks.” Maki started twirling a lock of red hair between her fingers absentmindedly. It was odd, they’d been texting each other for a large part of the previous week, but now they were face-to-face Maki was struggling to think of anything to talk about. Why was she so bad at this?

“Hey, Maki.” Maki lifted her head up and locked eyes with Nico, gazing deep into her rubies. Eyes that made her feel safe yet anxious at the same time, like a nervous energy that both warmed her and made her shiver. “Do you wanna sit down for a few minutes? You look a bit tired.” For a few moments Maki didn’t reply, all she did was stare back at Nico’s face, at her kind smile that uttered even kinder words. Maki then visibly relaxed, a bashful smile between her rosy cheeks. They sat down together against the wall, in the same spot as where they had talked last week. It was such a sudden change, but now Maki felt all of the safety that she felt around Nico with none of the self-created tension, none of that nervous energy that made her feel on edge. 

She took a deep breath, rested her head against the wall, and allowed the negative thoughts to leave her brain for the first time since she’d arrived here, feeling that confidence come back. However, it wasn’t quite the same feeling that Maki had earlier, when she was confident that she could spend tonight teasing and flirting with Nico. In a way, she’d placed too much pressure on herself to do so tonight, probably because of how quickly her feelings had grown, and how overpowering they had felt all week. All of that overthinking had taken its toll on Maki’s mental state. Now that she was thinking with a clear head, she felt confident that she could actually enjoy herself, that she could talk to Nico without the self-inflicted pressure. 

Maki thought back to Hanayo’s words earlier. She was going to embrace her feelings, not worry about them. She didn’t need to worry about what to wear, or what to say, all she needed to do was be herself.

“Do you feel any better now?” Maki opened her eyes and realised that she had been smiling while lost deep in her thoughts. She turned towards Nico and her smile grew.

“Yeah.” (Because you’re here).


	5. Special Feelings (Whatever They Mean)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which present Maki is embarrassed by past Maki (and present Nico), and Rin can be your angel or your devil.

### Special Feelings (Whatever They Mean)

When Maki awoke on Saturday morning (it was still technically morning, even if it was only for another four minutes), her headache was much smaller than it had been last week. Sure, she didn’t feel 100%, and she would kill for a glass of water right now, but there was no nausea and the room wasn’t spinning around her. Maki attempted to piece together the events of last night to make sure she could remember it all – after talking to Nico outside for a while, they went inside and danced with the others, then Eli bought everyone shots (at a discount, thanks to Nozomi). After that, everything was a little hazy, but at some point she ended up outside with Nico again… hmm, maybe there were some gaps in her memory after all. As if on cue, Maki’s phone buzzed.

N: You awake yet, sleepyhead?

M: Just about. No massive hangover this time, which is a plus

N: See, some moderation and a lot of water goes a long way ＼(＾▽＾)／

M: I wouldn’t call shots of tequila moderation

N: You only had one, that’s not that bad

N: Rin did three, she probably regrets that \\(≧▽≦)/

M: BTW, do you remember why we went outside towards the end? Or what we talked about?

M: Cause uh, my memory isn’t great (ーー;)

N: Do you really not remember?

M: Did I forget something important?

N: Oh man, you really don’t haha, this is priceless

N: We went outside cause you said you wanted to tell me something, then you spent like five minutes telling Nico how cute she is (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

N: It was adorable and also hilarious

M: I hate alcohol

N: At least you were honest ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Maki put her phone down and sighed. Well, apparently she wasn’t at all subtle when drunk, that was good to know. She had heard that people often said things whilst intoxicated that they didn’t have the confidence (or had the sense) to say otherwise, now she’d experienced that first hand. Maki lay back down on her bed, letting the softness of her pillows and blankets soothe her as she thought about Nico. Maybe drunk Maki telling Nico that she was cute wasn’t a bad thing. Now she probably had an idea that Maki had feelings for her, which was embarrassing, but if Nico felt the same then maybe she would have the confidence to make a move – confidence that Maki still didn’t possess. Honestly, Nico probably already knew that she was crushing on her, judging by how often Maki had been a blushing mess around her. Maki sighed again and closed her eyes, and although she didn’t fall back to sleep, she still dreamed of Nico all afternoon.

* * *

When Maki entered the university café at 1pm on Tuesday, she saw that Hanayo and Rin were already sat down at a table, waiting for her. Maki quickly grabbed a bottle of coke and a sandwich, then joined her friends.

“We’re glad you could join us, Maki!” Rin said with a mouthful of cake. Maki remembered that Rin used to talk with her mouth full all the time when they first met, and the memory made Maki smile.

“No problem guys, I’m glad to see you.”

“We know you normally study at lunchtimes, sorry if we’re getting in the way of that.” Classic Hanayo, always being kind and sweet almost to a fault.

“It’s fine, one day outside the library won’t hurt me.” Maki pushed the encroaching thoughts of her upcoming test on the respiratory system back into the depths of her brain. “Besides, I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity for lunch with you guys.”

“Aww Maki, that’s adorable! Still in a good mood from Friday?” Rin was correct, Maki was in a good mood, but mostly because she’d been texting Nico even more the past few days, to the point where it was probably distracting her from her studies (not that Maki really cared too much).

“Yeah, I guess so. It was a fun night.”

“You definitely looked like you were having fun.” Oh no, Rin had her teasing face on again. She probably wanted revenge for Maki mentioning to Eli how her and Hanayo starting dating. “So how did your talk outside with Nico go?” Damn, had everyone seen that?

“It went fine, thank you. Just a… normal conversation.” Maki glared at Rin who responded with an impish grin, sensing competition as the air around them seemed to crackle with anticipation. Hanayo felt the change in the atmosphere around them and started sweating nervously.

“So… Maki, everything going well between you and Nico then?” Hanayo asked, attempting to stop her girlfriend from pushing Maki further. Maki’s face softened at her friend’s question.

“Uh… yeah, actually. We’ve been talking a lot the past few days, it’s been really fun. She’s really nice and easy to talk to.” 

Hanayo beamed at Maki’s honest reply. “That’s great! Maybe you should meet up with her at some point this week! I mean, somewhere that isn’t DASH!”

Rin nodded earnestly in agreement. “Yeah, ask her out on a date!” Maki blushed slightly at the thought of actually being on a date with Nico. 

“I wish I could, but she’s out of town until Thursday. Her drama class went out of town to watch some play they’re studying.” Maki rested her chin on her hand, pouting.

“Ah, well you’ll get to see her on Friday at DASH!, right?” Hanayo asked.

“Yeah, Nico said she’ll be there again on Friday for sure. Honestly, I think she goes there every Friday, she seems to really like it there.” Maki briefly wondered if she would end up doing the same, and her studies being negatively affected was only an afterthought. How… un-Maki of her. “What about you guys, are you thinking about going this Friday?”

Rin shook her head. “Nope. It’s my mum’s birthday and she’s invited us for a meal with my family, so we can’t go out this week. We’ll go out next week though!” Maki pouted again, then realised this could actually be some sort of opportunity for her. If she didn’t have her best friends to talk to, then maybe this could be her chance to spend the whole night hanging out with Nico – this was simultaneously an exciting and nerve-inducing prospect, but Maki hoped her recently prevalent anxiety would be calmer around Nico from now on.

Hanayo seemed to sense Maki’s hesitation. “You should still go anyway though, you can spend more time with Nico! U-Unless you don’t want to…”

“No, you’re right, I think I’ll go anyway. Not seeing her for a week is long enough, if that becomes two weeks I might die of… of lack of Nico,” Maki mumbled the end of her sentence, and Rin giggled at her grumpiness. 

“Geez Maki, since when did you become so open about this sort of stuff? A couple of years ago you would barely tell us anything about yourself, now you’re gushing all about your new sappy crush!” Rin reached across and ruffled Maki’s hair, so quick that Maki didn’t have the reflexes to stop her. 

“I told you guys about some stuff… but I guess there’s never been anyone else that I felt so strongly about. All I wanna do is talk about Nico, or to Nico.” Maki sighed, staring down at her half-eaten sandwich. “Feelings are weird,” she muttered, so quietly that her friends could barely hear. Suddenly, a piece of cheesecake on a fork was thrust under her nose. Maki looked up at her friends’ smiling faces, and felt the contagious urge to smile back. She took the last piece of cake that Rin had offered to her, thankful that her friends were there to listen to her drone on about Nico. 

“Yup, feelings can be pretty weird. But they’re your feelings, so they’re still special to you. Just like Nico is!” Maki looked up again at Rin, wondering if that was the perhaps the wisest advice she’d ever heard come out of the ginger girl’s mouth. After swallowing her cake, Maki chuckled.

“You guys are special to me too.” 

* * *

Maki looked out of the window of her Uber and was reminded of that night two weeks ago, the first night she’d met Nico. It was strange to think that they had only met twice, yet they had talked so much that Maki already felt like she _knew_ Nico. Maki didn’t really _know_ anyone else other than Rin and Hanayo, and that had taken some time since she wasn’t exactly used to having close friends. She didn’t open up to other people easily – hell, sometimes she struggled opening up to herself. It took months for Maki to be honest with herself and accept that she was gay, and she wasn’t totally sure if she was yet to be honest with herself about what she wanted to do with her life. Obviously her parents had “strongly encouraged” her to follow their paths and become a doctor, with the end goal of taking over from them and running their hospital one day, but was Maki sure that she actually wanted to do that?

Sighing deeply, Maki chose to alter her train of thought to the night ahead of her. Sure, she was slightly nervous about going to a club without her two friends by her side, but that didn’t really matter because she was going to see _Nico_. Once again, she’d spent the entire week texting her, excited for the chance to see her again. A week without seeing Nico really was too long.

The buzzing of Maki’s phone startled her, almost making her literally jump. The message was from Honoka, letting Maki know that she was already at _DASH!_, unsurprisingly (when did she even give Honoka her number?). Maki recalled that Nico said she would be there by 10:30, which was around the same time Maki seemed likely to arrive based on how bad the traffic was. Nico said she wouldn’t get back to her apartment until around 6 o’clock, and Maki hadn’t heard from her since then, which was a little odd. Maki texted Honoka back, saying that she’d be there soon (hopefully), then received another message less than a minute later, expecting it to be a swift reply from Honoka. It wasn’t.

N: So uh… bad news. I took a nap when I got home because I was feeling a bit nauseous, I only woke up fifteen minutes go and I’ve thrown up a lot. So I don’t think I’m gonna make it out tonight. Nico’s really really sorry!!! （>﹏<）

Well shit. Maki’s first thought was that she hoped it was nothing serious, and even had a brief contemplation of going to Nico’s place to help take care of her, but she had no idea where Nico lived. She could ask, but Nico likely wouldn’t tell her, she would want Maki to go out and have a good time anyway. Maki wondered if she _could_ have a good time without Nico there, especially without Hanayo and Rin. Nozomi was working, and Eli wasn’t going out, apparently she needed to save money after buying at least twenty shots last week. So that just left Honoka, as well as probably Umi and Kotori, both of whom she’d barely spoken to. 

Maki’s anxiety was climbing quickly as her Uber turned onto the road where _DASH!_ was located. Well, since she was already nearly there, it wouldn’t make sense to go home now. Maki was at least going to make an effort to enjoy her night, despite the circumstances and her anxiety that she was trying to not be overwhelmed by. After the car pulled up, she thanked the driver, stepped out onto the street, then realised she hadn’t yet texted Nico back.

M: Oh no, hope you feel better soon (T⌓T) No need to apologise for being sick, it happens sometimes. Take care of yourself 

Maki wanted to add something else, like “I’ll miss you tonight” or “It won’t be as fun without you”, but she decided against it – she didn’t want Nico to feel any worse than she probably already felt for not going out with Maki, on top of whatever illness she had. Besides, Nico almost certainly knew that Maki would miss her without telling her as much. Maki stood on the street outside _DASH!_, having to fight back the part of her brain that was telling her to not bother going in and just go straight home. _You can do this_, she thought to herself. Even if there was a chance that she wouldn’t enjoy herself as much tonight, she was going to try, anxiety or otherwise. As Maki readied herself, her phone vibrated once more.

N: Thanks, I will! Try to have a good night! 

N: Obviously that’ll be difficult since Nico’s not there, but I’m sure you’ll find a way ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

M: Idiot. But thanks ^.~

Maki grinned, put her phone away, and went inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a shorter chapter, mostly build-up for Chapter 6 which should be up soon-ish! We're halfway through this fic now, hope you guys are enjoying the ride! Thanks so much for everyone that's been reading (and hopefully enjoying), and thanks especially to everyone who's commented so far! I look forward to reading them (◕‿◕✿)


	6. A Burden Shared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki makes new friends, and Umi is adorably supportive.

### A Burden Shared

It didn’t take long for Maki to find Honoka, unsurprisingly. As soon as she walked down the stairs and stepped through the double doors, Honoka was already visible (and _very_ audible), at the bar chatting with Kotori and Umi. Maki also spotted Nozomi, back working on the bar. Kotori saw Maki approaching and gave her a small wave that Maki returned, before Honoka turned to see her and engulfed her in a bear hug.

“Maki! I’m so glad to see you here! She then pulled out of the hug as quickly as she had initiated it, suddenly remembering something. “Oh, did you hear about Nico yet?”

Maki nodded, brows furrowing slightly. “Yeah, she said she’s been throwing up a lot, which sucks. I hope she’s taking good care of herself.” A smile then reappeared on her face. “It’s good to see you guys though.”

Kotori beamed at Maki, and Maki noticed her outfit was just as good as it was the previous week. She really did have a good eye for fashion. “We’re happy to see you too! I’m sure Nico will be fine soon, she knows how to take care of herself.”

“So Maki… how have you and Nico been getting along then?” Honoka accompanied her question with wiggling eyebrows, causing Kotori to giggle and Umi to roll her eyes. Even Honoka knew how close they were, and she seemed the most likely out of all of them to be more… naïve about that sort of thing. 

“We’ve been getting along well, but I’m sure you already knew that.” It was true, even though Honoka didn’t seem like the brightest person at times, she seemed to know all the gossip about people, especially if it concerned _DASH!_. 

“Of course, but I wanna know what you have to say about it! You really like her then?” Oh boy, Honoka was getting more excited, practically bouncing on the spot until Umi poked her – with some force, apparently – on the shoulder.

“Stop being so nosy, Honoka. Maki doesn’t have to tell us about her private life if she doesn’t want to.” Honoka pouted at Umi, rubbing her shoulder to add to her hurt look. Maki did appreciate Umi’s thoughts, but honestly Maki didn’t mind talking about Nico, because then she was thinking about Nico more and she quite enjoyed that.

“I… don’t mind. Yeah, I do really like her.” Maki didn’t really know what else to say after that without embarrassing herself more than she was willing to, her cheeks were already definitely flushed just from admitting that. 

Honoka and Kotori let out a simultaneous “Aww”, while Umi simply smiled, her face showing an emotion that Maki couldn’t quite place. Somehow, it felt sad – or wistful, maybe? Umi then noticed Maki looking at her, and she averted her gaze towards Kotori, who clapped her hands together and spoke.

“Do you want to get a drink, Maki? We were thinking of going to sit down at the usual table.” Maki smiled softly, glad that she already felt included by this group.

“Sure. You guys can go sit down if you want, I’ll be over soon.” The others nodded, then headed towards the side room with the tables. Maki turned towards the bar and was immediately greeted by Nozomi, leaning on the bar counter, a large grin on her face. Maki was immediately hit by a feeling of dread, but she wasn’t sure why. 

“Hello there Maki, how can I help you?” Well, her first question wasn’t about Nico, that was a positive.

“Just a vodka and coke, please.”

“Vodka, eh? Elicchi would approve.” Nozomi measured out a shot of vodka, pouring it into the plastic cup. “So, how have things been?” It was an innocent enough question, but Maki definitely felt like there was an undertone to it. 

“Good, thanks. My week hasn’t really been that interesting, to be honest.”

“Oh really? Nothing of note happened then? No people in particular that you’ve been talking to all the time?” Damn, now Maki was starting to blush again. Too often her face portrayed her emotions. Nozomi giggled as she poured coke (or whatever cheap alternative they had) into Maki’s drink. “Don’t worry, I’m only teasing.”

“You and Eli are both really good at that.”

“Yep. We do it to Nico all the time, you’re both very easy to wind up.” Maki rolled her eyes and paid for her drink.

“Does Nico… talk about me, then?” Nozomi perked up, and Maki instantly felt like she shouldn’t have asked.

“Hmm… I’d say so. Quite a lot, actually. She spends a lot of time smiling at her phone, smiling in a way I haven’t seen very often. A purely happy smile. It’s nice to see.” Now Maki’s blush was several shades deeper as she thought about what that implied. She couldn’t think of a reply, instead choosing to stare down at the drink in her hands, so Nozomi continued.

“She seems happier than I’ve seen her for a long time. Believe it or not, that’s because of you. Just by talking to you she seems in a much better place than she was…” Nozomi began to trail off, sensing that she was perhaps getting into details that she shouldn’t share. “Anyway, you make her happy. And I can tell that she makes you happy. That’s what’s important.” Nozomi smiled again, a kinder smile, but still as wide as the one she wore earlier. Maki returned the smile.

“Thanks. You’re right, she does make me happy. Even though I haven’t known her for very long, it feels like I have.”

“I understand. Sometimes you can just click with someone, and you feel like you’ve known them for years. Even though it’s only been a couple of weeks, your feelings can still be strong. That’s what happened for me with Elicchi.” A man further down the bar called for Nozomi’s attention, to which Nozomi replied that she’d be right there. “It was lovely talking to you, Maki. Have a nice night.”

“You too.” Maki wasn’t sure if Nozomi could enjoy it, since she was working, but she didn’t seem to mind her job. She seemed at home when it came to dealing with customers, her service was very friendly. Maki took a sip from her drink, then left Nozomi took her customers, heading towards the side room.

* * *

Half an hour later, Maki found that she’d barely even touched her drink. She’d been too busy enjoying watching Honoka and Umi bicker about their music tastes – Umi seemed to be the only one of the girls besides Maki who wasn’t into groups such as A-RISE, whereas Honoka was borderline obsessed with them. The two of them were very entertaining to watch, so Maki and Kotori mostly stayed quiet, apart from the occasional giggle at the other girls’ expense. Umi and Honoka were currently glaring at each other, having finally run out of things to argue about for the time being, so Kotori decided to speak up for a change.

“Um, I’m going to get another drink, does anyone else want one?” 

Honoka immediately shot up, mood changing immediately as if she hadn’t been glaring at Umi for several minutes. “Yep! I’ll come too!” 

Maki and Umi both declined, both still having almost a full drink. As Honoka and Kotori walked away, Maki noticed Umi staring at Kotori once again, that same wistful look in her eyes. It was a feeling Maki recognised, and it was surely how she looked whenever she gazed at Nico (which she tried not to do, but it was difficult when she was so… _Nico_). When Maki was sure that the others were out of earshot, she spoke up.

“So, you really like Kotori then?” The range of emotions visible on Umi’s face over the next few seconds was spectacular to watch – first came mild confusion as she processed the question, followed by a split second of shock, then pure embarrassment as her face became coloured deep red, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Eventually, Umi looked down at her lap where here hands were fiddling with her bag.

“Yes.” A short confirmation, and so quiet that Maki could barely hear it, yet a confirmation nonetheless. Not that Maki needed one – Umi wasn’t exactly subtle with her feelings in that regard. That seemed to be something that Maki had in common with the bluenette. 

“Is it that obvious?” Umi looked up, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Now Maki almost felt bad for asking her so bluntly.

“I mean, I think I could tell because I get how you feel, I guess? I understand what it’s like to look at someone and have that feeling of admiration for them, and wanting nothing more than to be with them. That’s what I see when you look at Kotori. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s just… love.” Maki gave a small smile, then took a sip of her drink, still looking at Umi. The other girl was staring back down at her lap, deep in thought. Maki wondered if maybe she had gone too far and had made Umi uncomfortable, if so that was the opposite of her intentions.

“I’m sorry, you probably don’t wanna talk about something like this with someone you barely know.” Umi then looked up, still blushing slightly, but now with a smile on her face.

“No, it’s alright. I don’t mind talking about it.” Umi took a long drink, thinking once more. “You’re a very wise person, Maki. Everything you just said was… very accurate. You’re right, you certainly do know how I feel.”

“Thanks. I wouldn’t say I’m wise, just… observant I guess. I can tell when someone is looking at a person in that way.” Umi tilted her head slightly, as if considering something.

“Hmm, that’s interesting…” Maki wasn’t sure what Umi meant by that, but she didn’t feel the need to question it. It was kind of nice for Maki to know that there was someone who felt the same way she did. Maybe they could start a “Lonely Lesbians” club or something.

“So, how long have you known Kotori for?” Maki was curious to know more about Umi’s… situation, especially since she didn’t know much about Umi to begin with.

“Kotori, Honoka and I met when we were kids. I think we were five years old at the time? So… that would mean we’ve known each other for fourteen years.” Wow. Maki couldn’t comprehend being friends with someone for that long, her longest friendships during her life were the ones she had now with Hanayo and Rin. All of the other friends she’d had in the past hadn’t lasted particularly long, for one reason or another.

“Then… how long have you had feelings for her?”

“Well… four or five years, I think.” Maki’s jaw dropped.

“You’ve been in love with her for five years and you haven’t told her?” It was at that point that Maki realised Umi hadn’t actually mentioned if she’d told Kotori or not, she’d just assumed that she hadn’t. “Wait, does she know?”

Umi suddenly looked nervous again, turning her head to check behind her. “Keep your voice down, we don’t know when they’ll come back. No, she doesn’t know. I’ve thought about it, of course, but I can’t tell her. We’ve been best friends for so long, I can’t risk throwing that away. I don’t know how she’d react.” Maki’s initial reaction was to tell Umi that she should tell her anyway, and that it wouldn’t damage her friendship with Kotori, but on the other hand Maki didn’t actually _know_ that. She didn’t know much about Kotori, or their friendship, and she would feel incredibly guilty if she talked Umi into telling Kotori and it did end up making things worse.

“I understand. It’s a difficult situation. Do you have any idea if she’s into girls?” Umi visibly tensed at that question, frowning at her drink as if it had insulted her.

“She had a boyfriend in 10th grade.” Ah. That was most certainly an issue. Maki felt very sympathetic towards Umi, she couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be in love with someone for such a long time whilst knowing they were into guys.

“Oh. That sucks. I’m sorry to hear that.” Umi gave a small, tired smile.

“It’s ok, there’s no need for you to apologise. It’s not like I can blame her for being into guys, it’s just… how it is.” Maki simply nodded in response. Umi was right, that’s just how it was. Nevertheless, Maki still felt bad for Umi, although another part of her was glad that this wasn’t applicable to her – as in, Nico was most definitely not straight.

“Thanks for talking with me, Maki. I… don’t usually have anyone to talk about this with.” Umi smiled again, a kind smile, but there were still traces of hurt and sadness in her eyes. Maki reciprocated, smiling back.

“No problem. Does Honoka not know either, then?”

“Absolutely not. She’s awful with secrets, and she’d almost certainly bring it up with Kotori, and that’s the last thing I want.”

Maki understood that, Honoka didn’t seem like the most covert person in the world, and that was an understatement. “But you still trust me? I mean, we barely know each other right?”

“I think I can trust you to keep a secret. If you’re smart enough to figure it out that easily, then you’re smart enough to know that you should keep it.” Umi’s tone of voice was still calm and smooth, but Maki was sure there was a thinly veiled threat in there. Umi took a sip of her drink, her eyes locked on Maki with an intimidating edge. It definitely worked, and it was also kind of hot. Maki chose to forget that last thought as Honoka and Kotori returned to the table.

* * *

The rest of the night passed by remarkably quickly, but for the first time Maki was able to remember the whole thing. She made sure to pace herself, which was easier when Nozomi wasn’t handing out tequila, and felt oddly proud that she was learning her limits for drinking alcohol. The four girls danced for a while, went outside for fresh air, bought another drink, then repeated this cycle. Maki realised that her fears and anxieties from the start of the night had disappeared entirely, the other girls were all lovely and she’d had a great time getting to know them better. Above all, Maki felt like part of a group now. Over the past two weeks she’d met so many people she could already call friends, and that was new to Maki. New, and slightly strange, yet wonderful and exciting. 

By the time they left _DASH!_, it was nearly 2am. As they walked down the street towards the nearest taxis, Maki walked slightly behind the others, unable to stop smiling from the great mood she was in. Umi saw that Maki was lagging behind, and began to walk alongside her.

“So, I take it you’ve had a good night then?” 

“Yeah, it’s been great. I’m really glad I got to know you guys better.” 

“Well, we’re really glad you joined us. You’re always welcome to hang out with us.”

Maki was deep in purely happy thoughts as they neared the taxi that Honoka, Umi and Kotori were planning on getting in (Maki lived in the opposite direction), but she was pulled out of her thoughts as Umi tugged at her sleeve. Maki turned towards her in surprise.

“What’s up?”

“Before we go, I just wanted to let you know… you should tell Nico how you feel.” Maki looked at Umi, wide-eyed and blinking, words failing her in her mildly alcohol-riddled state now that Nico had been brought up. “As someone who can’t be with the person they love, I don’t want to see the same thing happen to a friend. I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t think there was a high chance that she feels the same. We’re not particularly close, but even I can tell there’s a spark between the two of you, and Nico’s seemed so much happier since she met you.”

“Umi! Hurry up!” Honoka’s yelling down the street briefly distracted Umi, who simply glared at the ginger girl in response before turning back to Maki.

“Anyway, my point is… don’t miss your chance. Embrace your feelings, and go for it.” Umi was smiling at Maki, but her voice was beginning to waver, and there was hurt visible in her eyes. Umi turned again towards her friends, her eyes lingering on Kotori who was turned away, talking to Honoka. Maki saw tears form in Umi’s eyes, but she blinked them away.

“Ok, I need to go. Get home safe, Maki. And… good luck.” Without waiting for a response, Umi gave a quick wave and began walking away.

“Umi!” The bluenette turned back towards Maki, rubbing the remnants of tears from her eyes. “Thanks.” Maki smiled at Umi, hoping that in this situation a smile could convey more than her words could. Umi smiled back, then went to join her friends. 

In the Uber on the way home, all Maki could think about was how both Nozomi and Umi had said that Nico had been much happier since meeting Nico, in a way that implied she was far from happy beforehand. She wanted to know why Nico might have been unhappy, she wanted to know if she was really helping Nico, and most of all she wanted to know if she could help Nico even more.

M: Hope you’re feeling ok. I had a great night, Honoka, Kotori and Umi are really fun to hang out with. I still wish you were there though. Take care of yourself ^.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Umi, sweet, precious Umi. Bless her heart.
> 
> This was one of my favourite chapters to write so far, even if writing Umi in this way made me a lil' sad.


	7. The First of Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki eats pasta, Nico flirts at every opportunity, and Hanayo continues to be the best friend a panicky redhead could ask for.

### The First of Many

The first thing Maki did when she awoke on Saturday morning was check her phone. As usual, there were several messages from Nico.

N: Glad you had fun! Those girls are really cool to hang out with, they’re hilarious too （＾ｖ＾）

N: I’m not at 100% yet, but I feel way better than last night. I think it was food poisoning or something ( •́ ✖ •̀)

N: I wish I was there too, Nico misses you as much as you miss Nico (^_−)☆

Maki yawned, not awake enough yet to process a response, so she lay her head back down onto her pillows and thought about how to reply. An idea sprang to Maki’s head – if Nico really was missing Maki, and all she had was food poisoning and nothing more serious, then maybe this was a good opportunity…

M: Morning (ᵔᴥᵔ)

M: Since we miss each other so much, you wanna meet up when you feel better? 

Maki pressed send on the message before her doubt could begin to creep into her mind, thankful that she wasn’t awake enough yet for her brain to be riddled with anxiety over it.

N: Absolutely. As long as I’ve stopped throwing up by Monday, do you wanna go see a movie together? There’s a new movie out that was shot by my favourite director, so I really wanna go and totally fangirl over his work some more

N: Some day, Nico would love to be in one of his films. That’s my dream ♥‿♥

M: Yeah sure, sounds fun. What time?

N: How about half past 6? Outside the main building of the university?

M: Works for me. I’ll see you there. You better be less ill by then ಠ_ಠ

N: Or what? Is Dr. Maki gonna come look after me? (^_−)☆

M: Nope, why would I want to catch whatever you’ve got?

N: Play your cards right and you could catch me ♡

The two of them had certainly done some light flirting before, but Nico’s last message was certainly the most… obvious case yet. That was 100%, indisputable, so-gay-it-might-as-well-be-rainbow-coloured flirting. Obviously, at this point Maki froze up and couldn’t think of a response. While she stared dumbly at her phone, hoping her brain would kick into gear, Nico sent another message.

N: Wow that was cheesy. Sorry not sorry （＾ｖ＾）

M: Might have been the cheesiest thing I’ve ever read tbh

At this point Maki put her phone down, because she was waking up properly and it was starting to hit her that she had agreed to go on a date with Nico. A date. With _Nico_. Well, neither of them had actually said the word _date_ but that’s what it was, right? Nico knew that Maki liked her, and it seemed that Nico may like her back (even if Maki had trouble believing it), and they had just agreed to go see a movie together. Sure, meeting up was Maki’s idea, but Nico agreed and suggested the movie idea. This was unmistakably a date. With Nico. _Fuck_.

* * *

“Calm down Maki, everything’s gonna be fine.” Hanayo’s reassuring voice on the phone was apparently not reassuring enough for Maki to calm down, as she continued pacing up and down her room, free hand running through her hair as often happened when she was nervous. She had only been awake for an hour and she’d already been through so much stress that her life expectancy had probably shortened by a few years.

“Hanayo, I’ve never been on a date before. This is my first one, ever. I have no idea what to do on a date, or how to act. I’ve barely been able to stay calm around her when we haven’t been on a date, at this rate I’m gonna spontaneously combust at the sight of her.” Hanayo giggled at the thought of that occurring.

“Don’t worry, I think everyone feels this way when they go on their first date, especially with someone they really like. My first date with Rin was a mess, we went to the cinema and we were both so awkward we didn’t know what to say, so we barely talked for most of the date.” She could barely finish the sentence without giggling, cherishing the memory despite the absurdity of it.

“That really doesn’t fill me with confidence,” Maki grumbled. “What if mine and Nico’s is just as bad, or worse, and then she decides she doesn’t want to date me anymore? You and Rin had known each other for years before you started dating, I’ve only known Nico for two weeks. She might realise that I’m not good enough for her and never want to talk to me again. I can’t afford to mess this up–”

“Maki! C-Calm down, y-you’re breathing really heavily.” Maki stopped in her tracks, both figuratively and literally, halting her repetitive pacing. Hanayo was right – her breathing had become very heavy whilst she was talking, and her heart rate felt unnaturally high. “Try to take some deep breaths, that might help you to calm down.” Maki took her friend’s advice, breathing in and out slowly until her heart rate slowed down to a more natural pace. 

“Thanks, Hanayo. I… I don’t know what happened to me there.”

“You were getting yourself worked up, I think you were starting to panic a bit.” That made some sense to Maki – she realised she was sweating more, and her hands were shaking despite her efforts to steady them. Maki sat on the edge of her bed, taking another deep breath.

“Yeah, I think I was. That’s not a good sign.”

“I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to overthink things. Try to focus on the positives – if you and Nico are going on a date then she clearly likes you, I don’t think she’s the kind of person to go out with someone that she wasn’t really into.” Maki thought to herself that in that regard, her and Nico were quite similar – the main reason Maki had never been on a date was that she had never felt strongly enough about someone to even consider it, until now. Until Nico.

“I know it’s scary, but it’s exciting too! You get to spend more time with her, that’s good right?”

“Yeah, of course it is. This is definitely a good thing, one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time. Which is why I really don’t wanna screw up.”

“I know it is. But you’ll be ok. Once you settle into it, you’ll enjoy it, I promise.” Maki knew Hanayo was right. She thought back to Hanayo’s advice from the previous week before going to DASH!.

_“Try to embrace that part of it, the part where you feel happy just by looking at her or being with her or even just thinking about her, because that’s what makes having a crush feel amazing.”_

Hanayo was proving to be really good at giving dating advice.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks again, Hanayo.”

Maki couldn’t see it, but she knew her friend was smiling at her through the phone. “You’re welcome, Maki. If you need any help, feel free to call me or Rin, we’re both happy to help.”

“I will. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye!”

Maki hung up the phone and collapsed onto her bed again, wishing she could sleep for the next 48 hours.

* * *

According to Maki’s phone, the time was 6:19pm, and the day was indeed Monday. She was wearing her favourite purple dress, one that she only wore on special occasions – and as far as Maki was concerned, this was one of the most special occasions possible. The dress wasn’t exactly flashy, but it was cute and matched her eyes, and it made her feel confident – which was certainly something she’d need today. She’d arrived eleven minutes early since she was terrified of being late, though now she felt dumb being all dressed up by herself on the sidewalk. A hand reflexively moved towards her hair, as that was her usual go-to when she was nervous, but she restrained herself when she remembered how long she’d spent getting it to look right when she was getting ready. She’d spent at least two hours preparing – she’d showered, done her hair and make-up as well as she’d ever done them before, desperate to look perfect for Nico. Desperate to _be_ perfect for Nico. 

Several deep breaths later, she was starting to relax a little, feeling her nerves take a temporary backseat, but that was undone the instant that she felt a delicate finger tap her on the shoulder. Maki spun around, startled, but the shock was replaced by a multitude of other feelings as soon as her eyes met Nico’s. A mixture that she couldn’t describe, but that made her want to kiss Nico on the spot and also maybe run away from fear. With Maki’s brain in a whirl, all she could manage was to stare dumbly at Nico, who oddly enough seemed to be doing the same. Her eyes were locked with Maki’s, but for a fraction of a second Maki noticed her eyes flicker downwards, then back up again. A faint blush appeared on Nico’s cheeks, and Maki was glad that the dress she’d chosen accentuated her… curves. 

“Hi, Nico.” Proud that she had been the first of the pair to recollect herself enough to greet the other, Maki smiled shyly at her date. She noticed Nico’s attire wasn’t too dissimilar from what she would wear to _DASH!_ – a short red skirt, a light pink shirt with some band logo on, and the same black leather jacket that she had worn the last time they had met. Maki suddenly felt overdressed, but Nico’s eyes seemed to appreciate that fact, so maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Hey, Maki.” Nico returned a shy smile, before seeming to slip back into her regular smile, a wide, teasing grin on her face. “Glad I’m not the only one that’s early then! Someone’s eager to spend time with Nico~!”

Maki rolled her eyes, despite finding this side of Nico just as cute as the more reserved, genuine side. “I didn’t realise being punctual was a bad thing these days.”

Nico’s giggle added further to her cuteness, and Maki wondered if there was anything that Nico could do that Maki wouldn’t find adorable. “It’s okay Maki, you don’t have to admit how eager you are to see Nico, you did that plenty last week at _DASH!_” Maki felt her face heat up, instantly regretting letting Nico have that information to use over her. Maki narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue, realising how childish the action was, but not particularly caring when her opponent (/date) was resorting to using that against her.

“Remind me to stop drinking alcohol around you. Besides, you were early too, clearly you’re just as eager to see me.”

“You’re not wrong, I guess. Can you blame me? You look… really great.” Nico’s blush returned, but it paled in comparison to the deep red spreading across Maki’s face.

“Uh… th-thanks, I guess. You look really nice too.” Nico smiled again and Maki decided that if she was to have a heart attack there and then, it wouldn’t even surprise her. The things this girl could do to Maki were dangerous for her health.

“So, the film doesn’t start for a while yet. Wanna grab some food in town first?” Maki nodded, glad that Nico also wanted to eat, since Maki had been so busy getting ready for the date that she had neglected to eat before leaving her house. “I know this nice Italian place in town, is that fine with you?”

Maki’s eyes widened in excitement and her stomach started to rumble. Italian happened to be her favourite type of food, which was probably something to do with all the tomatoes used in it. Nico giggled at Maki’s innocent excitement.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then. Come on, it’s not too far from here.”

* * *

“I’ll have the Penne All’arrabbiata, please.” The waiter nodded at Maki, then left to fetch their drinks. Nico, who had just ordered a pepperoni pizza, scrunched her nose at Maki’s order.

“That sounds fancy.”

Maki shrugged. “Not really. It’s a pretty common pasta dish. Arrabbiata is this really nice tomato sauce, it has chili peppers in it so it’s kinda spicy, but not too spicy? Normally good Italian restaurants make it really well, so I guess it’s my go-to order when I go to one. I used to have it a lot back when I lived with my parents, too.”

Nico raised an eyebrow at Maki’s pasta-related speech. “I don’t think I’ve heard you talk this much about anything before. Well, except Nico, of course.”

Maki opened her mouth to respond, but her retort died on her tongue when she realised that Nico was probably right. “Well… I like pasta, and I like Nico, so that makes sense.” It was corny, but the warm smile that adorned Nico’s face made it worth it. 

“You’re being smooth today, aren’t you? It’s almost like you’re trying to impress me or something.”

Maki looked shyly down at the table, then back up to meet Nico’s gaze. “Is It working?”

A shrug. “It might be.” Maki put on her best pout, knowing Nico wouldn’t be able to resist it. “Don’t try getting all cute and pouty on me, Maki. Not when Nico does it way better.” Nico demonstrated her best pout, and Maki swore she could feel her heartstrings twinge at the sight before her. It was evident how good Nico was at drama, she was definitely studying the correct major.

“Alright I get it, you can stop now.” Nico instantly went back to her bubbly self, in a switch so instant it was almost disconcerting. Maki had learned that Nico had an uncanny ability to flip from one persona to another. It was almost as if she could act as every character in a scene. Maybe that’s what Nico was doing – practicing her acting abilities in everyday situations. It could even be second nature to her by this point.

“So, tell me more about how your Friday night went. How did you cope without telling Nico how cute she is?”

Maki thought to herself that she essentially spent part of her night telling _Umi_ how cute Nico is, but Nico didn’t need to know that.

“Umi, Kotori and Honoka were plenty entertaining enough. Maybe next time I’ll just hang out with them instead of you.” Maki couldn’t help but accompany her reply with a shit-eating grin when she saw a flash of annoyance on Nico’s face – it was nice to know that she could get under Nico’s skin as well as Nico could get under hers.

“In that case, maybe you should go see a movie with them instead, though I doubt they’d appreciate your company quite as much as Nico does.” 

“Maybe I will. I’m sure they’d appreciate me just as much as they appreciate each other. Well, except Umi, since–” Maki shut her mouth as soon as she realised what she was about to say, though she had likely already said too much. So much for keeping Umi’s secret. What a great friend she was.

Nico chuckled at Maki’s embarrassment at her own revelation of information. “Relax, I know that Umi likes Kotori. I think everyone knows to be honest. Well, except Kotori… and Honoka.”

“Oh. I guess it is kind of obvious. Still, I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I’ve already messed that up.” Maki frowned at her own inability to keep her mouth shut, but her face lit up when she saw the waiter approaching with their drinks. They had both ordered lemonade that cost way more than any human should ever pay for lemonade, but Maki had to admit that it tasted better than any she’d had before.

“So, Umi told you about that stuff, then?” Nico asked. “That’s impressive, she doesn’t open up that much about that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, we talked for a while about it. She didn’t bring it up, she wasn’t exactly being subtle about it so I mentioned it once Kotori and Honoka were out of earshot.”

Nico laughed, a sound that Maki found particularly pleasant. “Yeah, that sounds about right. She’s so obvious that it’s a miracle how Kotori hasn’t realised yet. Honestly, it wouldn’t even surprise me if Kotori felt the same back, with how much she hangs around Umi.”

Maki’s brows furrowed, recalling her conversation with Umi. “But Kotori had a boyfriend in school, apparently. So Umi doesn’t think she likes girls.”

This drew an overly dramatized eye-roll from Nico. “Bi people exist, Maki. I’m living proof of that.” She struck her signature pose, and Maki returned the eye-roll. Nico was right though, Maki hadn’t contemplated that Kotori could be bisexual rather than straight, and it seemed that Umi might not have considered that either. In reality, there was no way Umi could know for sure unless she asked, and from the limited knowledge Maki had of Umi’s character, that seemed… unlikely. It was also news to Maki that Nico was bisexual – she had just assumed that Nico was as flat-out gay as she was.

“That’s a good point,” Maki began. “Still, it must suck for Umi, to like someone for that long and not know if they like you back. I wish there was some way we could help her.” Maki swirled her drink around with a straw, staring into it as if hoping it would have the answers she was seeking. Nico let out a small chuckle and Maki looked up to see her, chin resting on her hands, gazing at Maki with a grin. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. You just look so cute when you’re thinking.”

Maki’s face was as red as the pasta sauce she was served moments later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As soon as I started writing this chapter, I knew part of their date had to take place in an Italian restaurant, to pay homage to the wonderful "let's be friends (so we can make out)" by arcanine, one of my favourite NicoMaki fics. If anyone hasn't read it before, I strongly recommend it!


	8. 21 Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki and Nico get to know each other better, and Rin and Hanayo are adorable.

### 21 Questions

Maki barely paid any attention to the movie. Sure, from the bits she actually watched it seemed good, the acting was as skilful as any Maki had ever seen (though she rarely watched movies or TV), but she found it almost impossible to take her eyes off Nico. The other girl was totally transfixed, and her reactions were priceless. Even though Maki hardly watched it, she experienced the movie through Nico’s gasps of shock, through her hushed cheers, through the tears that formed in her eyes during the dramatic climax. Maki could have continued stealing glances at Nico all day (which, Maki decided, was not creepy at all), but all too soon the credits rolled and Nico wiped the tears away.

As the girls walked down the stairs towards the exit, Nico couldn’t stop herself from gushing about how much she loved the director’s work. Maki barely understood most of what was being said, yet she was happy enough to listen anyway – Nico’s unashamed passion for drama was refreshing, and the wild hand gestures she made were adorable. Their conversation continued as they walked down the street, the topic moving towards movies in general.

“So Maki, what’s been your favourite movie this year so far?”

Maki bit her lip, knowing Nico wouldn’t like her answer. “Actually, that was the first movie I’ve seen this year.” Nico stopped dead in her tracks, with a look on her face as if Maki had just insulted her mother, or spilled a drink all over her (Maki still had flashbacks to that occasionally).

“Maki, it’s October 3rd. How have you not seen a movie this year until now? Do you never go to the movie theatre?”

“Not really. I used to go sometimes with my parents, and I’ve been once or twice with Rin and Hanayo in the past, but usually they just go by themselves now.” After she’d said it, Maki realised how sad that sounded, so she decided more needed to be said so Nico wouldn’t think she was a total loser with no friends (realistically, she knew Nico was too kind to think that, but some parts of Maki’s brain were anything but realistic). “Not that I really mind, I guess I’m just not that into movies in general.”

Nico gasped, then seemed to have a moment of realisation and shrugged, before resuming walking. “I guess that makes sense, you don’t really seem like the sort of person to be super into movies. Then again, maybe you just haven’t seen the right ones because you haven’t had the right person to show you. I guess I’ll have to take on that responsibility.” Nico shrugged again nonchalantly, as if she hadn’t just hinted at the possibility of more dates, a notion that spawned butterflies in Maki’s stomach. As they walked further, Maki realised there were probably many things that Nico didn’t know about her, and vice versa. Despite their many text conversations, this was only the third time that they had met in person, and as a result the thought crossed Maki’s mind that they didn’t really know each other that well, despite sometimes feeling like they did.

Nico was either a mind reader or thinking the same, judging by her next suggestion. “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s take it in turns to ask questions about each other. Nothing super personal yet, obviously, but… I’d like to know more about you.” Maki glanced at her date to see that Nico was looking back at her, with a nervous look in her eyes that she hadn’t seen before now. She looked cautious, almost unsure of herself, as if she might be asking too much. The look didn’t suit her, Maki noted mentally. In the hopes it would reassure Nico, Maki smiled gently, nodding.

“I like that idea.” There was silence for a few moments, as both girls tried to think of an opening question. It was Nico who conceived one first.

“What’s your favourite colour?”

“Red. What’s yours?”

Nico sighed. “Maki, you can’t just take my question, you’ve gotta come up with your own. But mine is pink. I should’ve guessed yours was red, really.”

Maki began twirling a red lock of hair as she tried to think of her own question, but to no avail. Eventually, Nico decided to take her go next.

“What’s your favourite band?”

“Hmm, that’s tough. Probably Fall Out Boy. Or maybe Paramore. What’s your favourite drink?”

“I don’t think I really have one. I like anything that’s sweet, like Nico!” Maki chuckled, because even though Nico was playing into that character of hers, it was still true – she was incredibly sweet, and having a preference for sweet and fruity drinks made perfect sense. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Nope. I’m an only child. My parents said they only ever wanted one child to begin with, so after I was born they decided that was enough. I know you said not to re-use questions, but do you have any?”

Nico’s face lit up at that question. “Nico has two younger sisters and a younger brother. Their names are Cocoro, Cocoa, and Cotarou. I used look after them a lot, since my mom’s always been really busy with work, but now that I’ve moved out Cocoro’s taken on my role of looking after the others, since she’s the oldest of the three.” Maki briefly noticed Nico not mentioning her father, but then then thought of Nico looking after her kid siblings crossed her mind and she blushed a little. She could imagine that Nico was good at taking care of children – she had been adept enough to look after Maki when she’d been a drunk mess on the first night they met.

“How come you’re studying medicine?”

Maki had the answer to this question rehearsed at this point. “I’m going to inherit my parents’ hospital when they retire.” 

Nico’s raised her eyebrows at that. “Your parents own an _entire hospital?_”

“Yeah. They’ve both been doctors all their lives.”

“Wow. That’s… impressive.” Maki was silently thankful that Nico hadn’t yet brought up the fact that this must mean her family was incredibly rich. Whenever most people found out that Maki was the heiress of a hospital, they couldn’t help but comment on how much money her family must have, or snoop for more details. “So, you really enjoy all that science-y stuff then?”

They had stopped taking turns for now, but Maki didn’t really care. She shrugged at Nico’s question. “It’s okay, I guess. I don’t mind it.”

Nico turned towards Maki with a frown on her face, and Maki already knew what was coming next. “That doesn’t really sound like you enjoy it.”

“When’s your birthday?” It was obvious that Maki was trying to dodge the topic, but at least she had an excuse to do so with the game they were playing.

“July 22nd. Do you play any instruments?”

“I played piano a lot when I was younger, because my mother started teaching me from a young age. I don’t really have the time to play anymore, though. Plus, I don’t have a piano anymore, since that’s still in my parents’ house.” It was the one of the main things – along with the food that their family’s chefs cooked – that Maki had missed the most since moving out.

“You should buy a keyboard! Some of them are pretty cheap, and they’re small enough to fit in a student apartment. You’d probably enjoy playing again, right?” Nico looked up at Maki, a glint in her eyes. Maki found herself getting lost in those rubies, as she often did.

“Yeah… you’re right. I might do that.” Maki smiled softly at the thought of playing again – she had barely played piano in her last two years before moving out, so Nico was right – buying a keyboard was a great idea. Even if she did spend most of her time studying (or talking to Nico), she could probably find the time to play every now and then. The thought then struck Maki that instead of Nico pushing the point that Maki didn’t really seem to enjoy studying medicine, she had brought up something that she knew Maki enjoyed – music. Rather than trying to convince Maki to study something she might actually appreciate, maybe she had suggested – in her own roundabout way – to focus on doing something that she loved to do. If that was the case, Nico wasn’t only incredibly caring, she was surprisingly smart too.

“Why did you start going to _DASH!_?” Maki asked.

“Nozomi heard about it from a friend of hers at the start of our first year here, so we went to check it out. I think we both fell in love with it pretty quickly. We both went there all the time in our first year, like even more than I do now.” Nico chuckled, reminiscing about her first-year experiences. “I’ve probably been there more times than anyone else has since I started going. I think every member of staff knows who I am by now!” Nico grinned, and Maki wasn’t surprised that everyone there knew of her – Nico seemed kind of… unforgettable. “What was the drink you spilled on me?”

Maki sighed at her question. “You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

“Nope!”

“It was a vodka and coke.”

“Good choice. If I had to choose a drink for a cute girl to spill on me, it would be high on my list.”

Maki was getting better when it came to not blushing at Nico’s attempts to fluster her, she recognised. The girls were approaching the point in the road where Maki would turn off towards her apartment, whereas Nico would keep walking further down the road they were on. Maki only had time for one more question, so it had to be something good. One popped into her head straight away.

“What does that silly hand gesture you do mean?”

Nico stopped in her tracks just before the fork in the road, a look of surprise at the question she had been asked. Maki briefly wondered if she’d managed to mess up and ask a sensitive question without realising it, but then Nico’s face softened.

“My dad taught it to me when I was younger. It means ‘I love you’ in American Sign Language. I use it because it reminds me of him.” Nico spoke gently, but her words felt heavy and strong. Between Nico’s lack of mentioning her father earlier and her answer to the last question, Maki came to the realisation that Nico probably didn’t speak to her father much anymore, for one reason or another. This was clearly a delicate topic for Nico, which meant that a delicate response was needed. Maki wasn’t very good at those.

“Oh… that’s good.” Maki flinched at her own words, mentally face-palming at such a tactless reply. “I-I mean, th-that’s nice. It’s a nice thing to remember him by.” Maki was aware that in her scramble to seem less like a thoughtless moron, her phrasing had implied that she thought Nico’s father had passed away, which did seem to be a possibility.

“Yeah. It is.” Well, that seemingly confirmed Maki’s suspicions. Although it would be understandable for Nico to struggle with talking about such a topic, a small smile emerged on her face. She stared wordlessly at Maki, but they both knew that no words needed to be said in that moment, their eyes communicated all that was needed. Nico moved in for a hug that Maki gladly reciprocated, a smile now on her own face. Maki could feel Nico’s warmth, and wished to the stars above that she could stay warm forever. After not enough time, Nico broke off from the hug, skipped around Maki, and waved as she walked away.

“Bye, Maki! See you on Friday!”

Maki was left with her hand in the air, a familiar smell of strawberry-scented perfume, and a feeling that she may never truly be able to keep up with Nico.

* * *

“So Maki, how does it feel to be a fully certified gay now?”

“Shut up, Rin.”

Hanayo giggled at her friends and took a sip of coffee. It was the morning after one of the greatest days of Maki’s life, and the redhead had barely stopped smiling since. Even Rin’s teasing wasn’t getting to her (well, not much anyway).

“Seriously though, I’m so happy it went well for you! We’re gonna have the cutest double dates!” Rin was bouncing in her seat at the prospect, though that usually happened when she drank coffee. Maki felt warm inside at the prospect of being on a double date with Nico and her two best friends. With how long it had taken for her to find someone she was truly head over heels for, the chances of that person liking her back when that did happen seemed astronomically low. She couldn’t quite believe it, and she wasn’t sure if she ever would.

“We should go all go out for a meal next week sometime. If Nico’s available, that is,” Hanayo suggested.

“Yeah, we should! We can sort it out on Friday when we see her in _DASH!_, right Maki?” Maki couldn’t help but smile at her friends’ enthusiasm. Maybe they’d been waiting as long for Maki to start dating someone as she had.

“I’d like that. I’m… excited for you guys to meet her properly.” Maki smiled bashfully at her best friends, thankful as always for their support.

“We’re excited too! Nico seems super cool and mature, even if she is shorter than us!” Maki giggled at Rin’s comment, but it was accurate – Nico was a surprisingly mature woman, who was both committed to her university work and her part-time job as a model (Maki had, of course, looked up some of her work after they had first met). Even if she did sometimes slip into her over-the-top persona occasionally, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, Maki thought – it was intended to be sickly sweet and incredibly cute, and it most certainly hit the mark. 

“And she has the best music taste, too! I’m so excited that we’re all going to see A-RISE together! Honoka and Kotori are definitely going too!” Even though Maki wasn’t really interested in the band, she wondered if she should perhaps join her friends – it would be nice to go to a concert as a large group of friends. It was an opportunity she’d never really had before.

“I know Nico’s pretty busy with university work at the moment, but hopefully she’ll be free sometime next week.”

“Speaking of university work, how is yours going, Maki? Is studying medicine as tough as everyone says?” Hanayo was correct, Maki had been warned before starting her course that it would be difficult, and very time-consuming, and in all honesty Maki had probably not been spending enough time studying so far as she should have been. Back at school, Maki studied more than anyone else she knew – she had something of a reputation for studying in the library in practically every free moment she had, and her test results proved that. But now, she was more easily distracted – or rather, there was finally a person capable of distracting her regularly. Studying was difficult when Nico was always a text message away.

“It’s going fine. It’s kind of difficult, but I’ve understood everything so far. As long as I stay on top of everything I’ll be fine.” While what Maki said wasn’t wrong, she also knew it would surely get much harder – and when that inevitably happened, she would have to focus on her work more and on Nico less, and that was a prospect that she wasn’t too happy to think about.

“You gotta make sure you spend enough time studying, Maki! You can’t get distracted just cause you’ve got a pretty girlfriend now!” Maki’s face flushed immediately, because that was the first time anyone had referred to Nico as her girlfriend, which made Maki both embarrassed and doubtful – was it too soon for them to be girlfriends? They had only been on one date, and they hadn’t even done anything particularly couple-y except the hug at the end. That being said, friends hug too, so really what was the difference? Maki shook her head to free herself of thoughts that were too complicated.

“I don’t think you should be the one telling me to study, Rin. We literally had to force you to study for your last exams.” After countless hours of study sessions, Rin was finally able to get decent grades, and Maki was sure that herself and Hanayo had put in just as much effort as Rin had.

“I know, but studying is so booooring! All I wanted to do was run, and now I can! I haven’t read a book in weeks!” Maki was about to state that she wasn’t sure that was something to gloat about, when her phone buzzed in her pocket. 

N: Hey, I had a lot of fun yesterday. It was really fun hanging out with you (ᵔᴥᵔ)

M: I had fun too. It was nice to see you in the daytime for a change. We should definitely do that more often.

N: Definitely ^.~

“Oooh, I wonder who Maki’s talking to?”

“Shut up, Rin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more chapters to go! My plan is to release the next chapter on Christmas Eve, then the finalé on New Years Day. Hope you're all still enjoying the ride!


	9. Whirlwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki becomes a nervous wreck (again), and Kotori gets absolutely wasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight TW: Anxiety

### Whirlwind

Compared to how great Monday and Tuesday had been, the rest of Maki’s week had been absolute hell. On Wednesday, she accidentally overslept and missed her morning class on the cardiovascular system. On Thursday, she had overheard her classmates talking about a test they were due to have on Friday – a test that Maki knew nothing about. Instead of doing what would have been the smart thing to do (asking her classmates about it), Maki assumed that it would be on the contents of the lesson she missed on Wednesday morning. Therefore, Maki spent the entirety of Thursday morning (and some of the night) studying what she missed from that lesson, desperate not to fall behind. Hours on end at her dimly lit desk, with only a textbook and a large mug of coffee.

When she walked into her classroom on the Friday morning, she was incredibly tired – but more importantly, she felt ready for the test. If Maki had asked her classmates, she would have learned that the test was actually on neurology, a topic they had studied the previous week. As soon as Maki started reading the questions, her face paled and she felt her stomach turn. After spending so long memorising every detail she could about the heart, her brain was – ironically – struggling to recall anything about the way the brain worked. By the time the hour was up and Maki handed in her half-finished test paper, she felt physically sick.

Maki’s state didn’t improve throughout the school day – she could barely focus on any of the lessons or lectures, her mind constantly replaying the way she felt during her test, that horrible churning feeling in her gut. She stopped taking notes – there was no point when she could barely process the teacher’s words. Obviously, this just meant that she would fall further behind, but what was the point in trying when she’d spent so many hours studying for questions that never came?

* * *

The first thing Maki did when she arrived back at her apartment was lie down on her bed, hoping a rest could help to fix her mood. It didn’t. All she did was stare at the ceiling as her thoughts spiralled downwards, a tsunami of negativity flooding her mind. In several hours she was supposed to be meeting Rin and Hanayo before going to _DASH!_, but the more Maki thought about the night ahead of her the more tumultuous her thoughts became. She didn’t want to see Nico in this sort of mood – well, she did, because she _always_ wanted to see Nico – but more accurately, she didn’t want Nico to see her like this. 

Maki didn’t want Nico to see her as the grouchy, unfocused, irritable person she could sometimes be, which was almost certainly how she would act tonight unless her mood changed dramatically. She was scared, no, _terrified_ of Nico suddenly realising that she was making a mistake in dating Maki, because if Maki knew that Nico could do better, then surely Nico would eventually recognise that herself. What if Maki was getting ahead of herself? What if one date to Nico meant nothing, and she wasn’t actually into the idea of a relationship with Maki? 

A horrible thought then invaded Maki’s mind, latching onto her subconscious like a parasite – Nico had never actually said that it was a date. Sure, it was implied, and Maki had thought of it as a date, but Nico had never said the word. What if to Nico, they had just hung out as friends? The thought of that seemed ridiculous, yet no matter how ridiculous it was, it was all Maki could think about now. That was all it took – once that stupid idea had entered her head, she couldn’t convince herself that it wasn’t true.

So Maki continued to lie there, the storm of emotions and worries cluttering her mind. It was almost dark by the time Maki next checked her phone, and there was no way she would be able to get ready in time to meet with Hanayo and Rin. Hell, Maki wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go out at all at this point, not when her bed was so comforting against the turbulence from her mind. But of course, she saw that she had missed a message from Nico, and before she even opened the message she knew that she was doomed to leave her bed and go out, because she desperately _needed_ to see Nico.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Maki opened the message.

N: Nico hopes you’re excited for tonight! It’s gonna be a special night (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Maki sat up, sent a message to Hanayo saying that she would meet them at _DASH!_ instead of at their flat, and trudged over to her shower. For once, she didn’t have the energy or willpower to reply to Nico. Hopefully a shower would help (it didn’t).

* * *

A little over two hours later, Maki was stood on the street outside _DASH!_, and a large part of her regretted leaving her bed. As soon as she’d stepped out of the Uber, there had been too many people around her, the street bustling with Friday night activity, and Maki had suddenly felt cold and restless. Now she was far enough away from the crowds to calm her beating heart ever so slightly, but still unable to think straight because everything was so damn _loud_. Every pop song blaring from the speakers of nearby nightclubs, every shouted conversation from groups of drunk students, Maki swore she could hear them all at once.

She knew she should just walk straight into _DASH!_ – all of her friends would be waiting for her, and she was already nearly half an hour later than she promised Hanayo. Yet there was still that part of her mind shouting even louder than the music and the crowds, telling her that she shouldn’t go in, telling her that she would just bring her friends down with her shitty mood, telling her that she wasn’t good enough for Nico. Maki knew her thoughts were irrational and senseless, but no matter how hard she tried they just wouldn’t _go away_, and that was only furthering her anxiety.

Maki took one more look at the entrance of the club, and made a decision – she couldn’t do it. With the state she was in, there was no way she’d enjoy herself, and oh no Eli was in the smoking area and looking right at her. Crap. Eli raised a hand and waved, and then of course Maki saw _Nico_ of all people emerge from behind the blonde. Maki made eye contact with them both separately, and realised she probably looked like a weirdo since she hadn’t yet waved back. She waved her hand timidly and walked slowly towards them, knowing there was no way out now, and once again wishing she hadn’t left her bed.

Though the more steps she took towards Nico, the more her worries and uncertainty seemed to fade.

“Hey, Maki.” An unusually reserved greeting from a Nico that looked unusually shy.

“How’s it going?” Eli leaned on the railings, cigarette in hand, warm smile on her face. It was a question that there was no way Maki could answer truthfully at this moment in time, chiefly because if she did it would certainly bring the mood down, but also because organising her current thoughts and communicating them in a sentence that made any sense whatsoever seemed impossible. How could Maki say how she was feeling when she wasn’t even sure herself?

“I’m fine, how are you?” There, a much simpler answer.

“Pretty good, thanks. Been a busy night so far, so everyone seems to be having a good time. Hanayo and Rin were with Honoka at the bar last I checked, and Kotori and Umi are somewhere in there too.” Eli took a large drag and threw the remainder of the cigarette on the ground. “Well, I’ve leave you guys to it, see you inside!” And with that, Eli disappeared into the depths of _DASH!_, and Maki was alone with Nico. Maki, who was painfully sober and surrounded by people that were decidedly not sober, and Nico who had clearly been dancing because her hair was a little out of place and her breathing was slightly heavy, and why was that so _hot_? After staring dumbly at Maki for a couple of seconds, Nico snapped into her usual persona, sporting a toothy grin.

“So, are you ready to have the best night with Nico?” Maki tried not to think of the possible implications behind that, mostly to avoid becoming a blushing mess.

“Yeah, I am. Sorry I’m late, I… lost track of time while I was studying.” She didn’t like lying, but sometimes it was necessary when the truth was much harder to say.

“No need to apologise! You’re here now, that’s all that matters, right?” Nico grabbed one of Maki’s hands, and Maki felt warmth spread throughout her body like a wildfire at the touch. “Come on, let’s go find the others. First drink’s on me!” Maki didn’t have the will nor the time to protest as Nico literally dragged her inside. As she struggled to keep up with the shorter girl pulling her along, Maki could feel her anxieties shrinking, as if they were being replaced by thoughts of Nico.

* * *

Five minutes later, Maki and Nico were stood at the bar with Rin, Hanayo and Honoka, and Maki was beginning to wonder why she had been so hesitant about going out to begin with. Surrounded by her friends who were for some reason arguing about their music tastes, with music blaring so loudly that it was surely damaging their hearing, Maki felt at home in a strange way. It was odd to think that her first impressions of _DASH!_ three weeks ago had been so pessimistic – and truth be told, Maki still agreed with many of those initial criticisms, it still felt like a poorly painted basement – yet now those flaws almost seemed endearing. Sure, as a club it had many caveats, but it suited its main purpose just fine – as a place where people who were into the same kind of music could hang out and get drunk.

Everyone but Maki was too busy arguing about what A-RISE’s best album was to notice Kotori and Umi approach the group. Maki gave them a small wave, which they both returned cheerily with their free arm, and it was then Maki noticed something that struck her as odd – Kotori and Umi’s arms were linked between them as they walked. Maki glanced back up at their faces, and saw that while Kotori looked as upbeat as usual – perhaps even more so – there was definitely a noticeable blush on Umi’s face.

“Hey Makiii~! It’s nice to see you agaaain, are you having a good night?” Ah, so that was it. From the way she had started to slur her speech, Kotori was drunk, more so than Maki had previously encountered. That would certainly explain her being more casual with physical contact, as it wasn’t something that Maki had noticed of Kotori during their previous meetings.

“Yeah I am, thanks. It’s nice to see you guys again too. It’s nice to relax and not think about university for a while.” That statement had never been more true for Maki.

“Same heeere! I just got finished on some outfits for the drama club’s new play, it was really hard work but now I’m finished so it’s time to celebraaate~!” Kotori raised her glass to demonstrate, and spilled nearly half of its contents in the process. Umi gently pulled her arm back down before the entire drink was wasted, and the thought occurred to Maki that drunk Kotori essentially was a (slightly) quieter version of Honoka. As she watched Kotori giggle and lean further into Umi, causing her blush to spread, Maki was struggling to contain her laughter, thankful that for once she was able to laugh at someone else’s embarrassment without suffering it herself. 

“Hey Kotori! Which do you prefer, _‘Private Wars’_ or _‘Shocking Party’_?” As soon as Honoka had asked the question, Kotori had detached herself from Umi, who looked in equal parts relieved and upset about the loss of contact. Umi and Maki watched as Kotori quickly joined in with the discussion on a topic that neither of them knew anything about, both giggling at their friends’ ability to quarrel over something so trivial. The pair moved slightly further down the bar, out of earshot from the apparent A-RISE fan club.

“So Umi, have you been enjoying your night with Kotori so far?” Maki could barely keep a straight face, especially when the blush on Umi’s face began to reappear, only for it to be replaced by an eye-roll and a slight frown.

“She always gets like this when she gets really drunk. I mean, obviously it’s nice, but…” her frown deepened, “it’s kind of annoying when it doesn’t really mean anything.” Maki stopped giggling and instantly felt bad for Umi, she hadn’t thought of it that way. Maki realised that if she was in that position, if Nico was super touchy with her but she knew it didn’t mean anything, then it would probably drive her _insane_.

“Ah, right. Sorry.”

A small sigh escaped from Umi’s lips. “It’s ok. I’m used to it by now.” Maki wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. “Anyway, I heard from Eli that you and Nico are dating now? Is that true?” Umi seemed excited by the prospect, which was nice to see – despite the situation that Umi was in, she still seemed genuinely happy about Maki having more success in that department. Maki wished that Umi could be as lucky as she was.

“Um… yeah, we went on a date on Monday.” Maki felt her earlier doubts about labelling it as a ‘date’ begin to resurface, but she pushed them straight to the back of her mind for the time being. “We went out for Italian food and saw a movie by some director that Nico loves. It was… really nice.” Maki’s voice was little above a whisper at this point, and Umi had to make an effort to hear her over the music, but clearly she understood because a smile lit up her face. Though for a fraction of a second, the smile faltered, and Maki saw the hurt that lay underneath – yet her smile, in all of its honesty, reappeared as quickly as it had left.

“I’m really happy to hear that. I hope my advice helped in some way.” Maki smiled warmly, remembering the words Umi had said to her as they had said their goodbyes the previous week.

“It really did. Without you giving me that push, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to ask her out. So… thanks, really.” 

Umi’s smile grew, though before she could utter a reply, Kotori grabbed her by the arm and started pulling her in the direction of the dance floor. Before Maki could laugh at Umi’s misfortune, Nico dashed by in front of her and suddenly Maki was being whisked away to the dance floor to join them. As Kotori and Nico screamed the lyrics to “Everlong” by Foo Fighters, Umi and Maki shared a look, and both girls couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

After nearly an hour of dancing later, Maki made her way to the bar for another drink, leaving her friends to dance more. She attracted Nozomi’s attention (knowing a bartender was very helpful when it came to being served quicker) and ordered her regular drink of vodka and coke. While Nozomi was pouring her drink further down the bar, Maki noticed someone approaching her from the side. She turned to check the person’s identity, and realised it was a man – probably in his thirties – that she had never seen before. The man stopped next to her, leaning on the bar with one arm, and addressed Maki with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Hey beautiful, what can I get you?” Creepy Dude asked. Maki groaned internally.

“I’ve actually just ordered a drink, but thank you anyway.” She then turned away, hoping that he would take the hint and find someone else to bother, but this man seemed far too drunk to pick up on any social cues right now.

“In that case, I can give you something else instead. How about my number?” This time, Maki didn’t bother to restrain herself from sighing outwardly.

“Sorry, I’m not interested,” Maki said with what she hoped was enough of a warning in her voice for him to back off. It wasn’t.

“Listen, babe,” Maki cringed at the word, “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you all night. You’re _easily_ the sexiest girl in here. So why don’t we… get to know each other?” See, at this point what Maki should have done was go straight to Nozomi (or another bar worker) and tell them that there was a Creepy Dude who was way too drunk, and left them to deal with him. That’s what she _would_ have done, if she didn’t feel fingers trailing up her thigh as he spoke. As soon as Maki felt his touch, all rational thought left her brain, replaced only with the purest anger she’d ever felt, and she reacted the only way she felt she could in this situation. She raised her arm, pulled her fist back, and for the first time in her life Maki Nishikino punched someone. 

That was putting it lightly – it was a right hook with more strength than Maki knew she had, especially from the loud crunching sound his nose made as her fist connected with it. Much like _the incident_ from three weeks previously, time seemed to slow down as the punch landed, the immediate pain visible on Creepy Dude’s face, much to Maki’s satisfaction. But then time resumed at its normal rate, Creepy Dude staggered backwards – nearly falling over but grabbing on to the bar to steady himself – and Maki was promptly hit with the realisation of what she’d just done. She took one look at Nozomi, vodka and coke in hand, then another look at the wounded man in front of her – now with hands covering his bloodied nose – and she ran.


	10. When One Door Closes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maki panics, Nico rescues, and Umi faints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Panic Attack, Anxiety
> 
> Happy New Year everyone!

### When One Door Closes...

Maki ran, with no destination in mind other than _away_ from that bar, the same bar she’d sulked away from the last time she’d messed up, only the circumstances this time were very different because she’d just _physically assaulted_ a man. As she ran further into the club, the only thing on her mind was to go back to her friends, then she would feel safe and maybe the feeling of dread growing inside her would disappear. She reached the spot where she’d left her friends only a few minutes ago, but they were nowhere to be seen. No Kotori, no Umi, no Nico. A quick glance at the small bar at the back of the club, still no sign. 

Maki’s breathing was getting heavier again, but she barely noticed; it was so hard to think about _breathing_ when the music was so deafening and the lights were so blinding and her thoughts were racing once more, every crushing doubt and paralysing worry all coming back to her at once, like a crash of emotions that she couldn’t withstand. Maki needed air, she needed to go outside and focus on just _breathing_ but her feet wouldn’t move, immobilised by her brain’s failure to process _anything_. The punch at the bar, her test from this morning, her doubts over Nico’s feelings – all of the above were being burned into Maki’s consciousness and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. Yet she couldn’t even manage that.

It was then that Maki could feel the hot tears starting to roll down her cheeks, stinging her eyes as she tried to blink them away. She was shaking, too, even though everything felt _so hot_, and she was so sure that people would start to notice her too and start staring, if they hadn’t already. The fear of drunk strangers watching her breakdown only paralysed Maki further, as if she was an animal of prey hoping that her predator wouldn’t notice her if she stayed perfectly still. Yet seemingly only one person _did_ notice her. 

Short skirt, nice legs, twintails, and eyes that were looking straight at her, eyes wide with concern and alarm. Suddenly she was by Maki’s side, speaking words that Maki could hear nor process, and then slender fingers were wrapped around her arm again, pulling her away from the lights and sounds of the busy dance floor. 

* * * 

Nico led Maki into the smoking area as quickly as possible, hoping not to draw the attention of those around them. The redhead was guided towards the corner, and Nico helped to sit her down against the wall, tears still flowing down her cheeks, breath still ragged.

“It’s okay Maki, I’m here. You’re safe now. You’re okay.” Nico stroked Maki’s hand as she talked, hoping the action would calm her down quicker. Slowly, Maki’s eyes stopped staring straight ahead and met Nico’s, and then Nico saw the fear and worry in her eyes slowly fade into a tired dullness, as if worn down by the tears. Nico took Maki’s hand in full and grasped it, a gesture that Maki responded to by squeezing it gently. As they gazed into each other’s eyes, Maki’s breath slowed and the tears dried up, as the storm of anxiety dissipated and her thoughts brightened.

Nico was right, she was safe now. Out here in the fresh air, with nothing but Nico to focus on, her worries didn’t seem to matter anymore. All that mattered was that she was safe and she had Nico by her side, holding her hand, looking at her in a way that made her heart burst and melt simultaneously. And in all that relief, the feelings of love and certainty replacing those of fear and worry, Maki reacted in the only way that she felt she could. Maki leaned forwards and pressed her lips against Nico’s.

Maki had dreamed about her first kiss in the past, she’d often imagined it would be a gentle kiss, perhaps at the end of a perfect first date or watching a glorious sunset. This kiss was none of the above – it was a rough, almost desperate kiss, a kiss that conveyed more than words ever could, in the smoke-filled air outside a club that felt _safe_ to her. It was Maki’s way of thanking Nico for being there for her, Maki’s way of communicating how she _really_ felt, because even though thinking about it scared her, there was no denying how she felt – she _loved_ Nico.  
Nico, who Maki had only known for three weeks. Nico, who Maki already felt like she truly _knew_, despite their short time together. Nico, who was kissing Maki back like she _wanted_ this, like she had been waiting for this for as long as the redhead. True, Maki hadn’t known Nico for long, yet she already struggled to remember a life without her, and it felt like she’d been waiting for years to be with her, to kiss her with this intensity. Now that Nico was reciprocating – a thought that nearly made Maki’s heart grind to a halt – she could finally push those doubts out of her head. She had Nico, and that was all that mattered.

Eventually – but also far too soon – the girls pulled away from each other, gasping for breath, unable to look away from each other. After a few moments, Maki realised they had just made out in a very public place, and there was no doubt that people were staring at them – but instead of the typical embarrassment she would normally feel, all she felt was a relaxing tiredness, her body and mind fatigued from the panic attack and the kiss. Maki leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths, allowing her physical and mental states to rest. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a rare sight – a blushing, speechless Nico. 

“So…” Maki began, not knowing where to go from there, and cursing her brain’s inability to form an actual sentence. Nico smiled shyly, and took Maki’s hand in her own.

“So… took you long enough!” Nico’s smile grew as the shine in her eyes returned. “Nico was getting worried you were gonna be too shy to ever make a move!” Maki stared dumbly at Nico for a few seconds, her brain struggling to process Nico’s words at its regular speed. 

“So you… knew I liked you?”

“Well yeah, you’re about as subtle as Umi is,” Nico said with a smirk. “Even before we really got to know each other, I saw you staring at me enough times to have an idea, and by the end of that night it was pretty obvious!” Maki pouted as Nico’s grin widened, her enjoyment in Maki’s embarrassment plain to see. Maki opened her mouth to protest against the accusation of staring, but then realised it was kind of pointless, and so instead Maki silently cursed her past self for being so incredibly gay.

“If you were so sure I liked you, and you felt the same, why were you waiting for me to make a move?” Maki asked.

“I waited because you seemed kind of… nervous about it. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, so I thought the best way of making sure that you were ready was to wait for you to show that.” Nico’s smile was as soft and caring as her words, and Maki felt her cheeks warm again.

“You didn’t have to wait…” Maki mumbled, staring down at the concrete.

“What was that?”

“I said,” Maki looked up with a bashful smile and looked deep into Nico’s eyes, “you didn’t have to wait. But thank you for making sure I felt comfortable. I feel a lot more comfortable now than I did when…” Maki trailed off as her thoughts returned to Creepy Dude. Her returning worry must have been visible on her face, as Nico laced her fingers together with Maki’s.

“What happened? Did something happen in there that caused your panic attack?” Nico’s eyes were again wide with worry. Maki found it easier to return her gaze to the concrete, unable to speak about what happened face to face.

“I was at the bar… there was a man, he wouldn’t leave me alone… h-he… he started t-touching my thigh and I…” Nico started stroked her hand gently again, letting Maki take her time. “I punched him. I’ve never punched anyone before. I panicked and ran, and then I couldn’t find any of you, and then…” Maki felt her breathing begin to accelerate as she relived the painful memory. “Then I froze. My brain just kind of… shut down. I-I’ve never f-felt anything like it before.” Maki squeezed Nico’s hand, and Nico gave a gentle squeeze back.

“That definitely sounds like a panic attack. Nico used to have them, sometimes. Have you had any anxiety recently?” Maki almost laughed at that question, because oh _boy_ she had. Maki had definitely felt anxious at times in the past, but in the last few weeks – from getting herself worked up over Nico, to starting her university studies – it was no wonder it had all come to a head tonight, in the worst possible way.

“Uh… yeah, a lot. I’ve been really stressed lately, and… tonight, it all just… came out.” Being relieved of that stress is probably why she finally felt able to kiss Nico, Maki thought to herself. Her mind had been cleared – even if the method of that occurring was less than ideal – and then it all seemed so simple, because she liked Nico and she had been almost certain that Nico liked her, so why _shouldn’t_ Maki kiss her? She’d be stupid not to.

“That makes sense,” Nico began. “You might wanna see a doctor, or like, a university counsellor, about it. I…” As Nico trailed off, Maki noticed her fidgeting, clearly unsure whether she should continue. This time, Maki stroked the back of Nico’s hand, causing the latter to look back up, with a lop-sided smile. “I suffer from depression. It started around the time my father died, when I was fairly young, and it was really bad for a while. That was when I was having panic attacks pretty frequently too. Over time, and with my mom’s help, I got better at dealing with it, but… it never really went away.” Maki’s eyes widened at learning this new information, but she kept her mouth shut, waiting for Nico to continue. Nico looked away from Maki, clearly finding it easier to talk about her mental health if she wasn’t looking straight at the redhead.

“When I started university, the only person I knew was Nozomi, and I had to get a job just so I could afford my student apartment, so I was spending almost all of my time working, or studying, or rehearsing. I was so stressed that I ended up getting more depressed, and… it was pretty bad for a while. But Nozomi helped me out, and she took me to see a doctor. After that I starting seeing a counsellor at university, and that helped me a lot. So, I guess the reason I’m telling you all this is… seeing a counsellor or a doctor _does_ help, and I really recommend it if your anxiety is this bad.”

Nico turned back towards Maki, who was trying to think of something to say in response, but that was difficult when Nico had just come out with _so much_ at once. It was odd to think that Nico, who usually seemed so cheerful and bubbly, had spent so much of her life struggling. This must have been what Nozomi was talking about when she said that Nico had seemed happier recently – happier than Nozomi was used to seeing her. A warm feeling spread through Maki as she considered that she might be the reason for that.

“Thank you. Thanks for sharing that with me.” A small smile as Maki made her decision. “I’ll do it. I’ll go to see a university counsellor. If it helped you with your depression, then hopefully it can help me to not feel so stressed all the time.”

“Good. Nico will come with you, if you want. It might be easier to talk about stuff that way.”

“I… I’d like that.” Maki’s smile grew as she thought about how right this felt, how amazing it felt to be this close to Nico – and then it _really_ hit Maki that she had kissed Nico, and did that mean what she thought it meant?

“So… are we…?” Despite everything, she still couldn’t bring herself to say it, much to Nico’s amusement.

“Are we what, Maki? Dating? Because I kind of thought that was obvious! I don’t kiss people that I don’t intend to date, you know.”

“I know, I just… thought I should ask. I haven’t exactly done this before.” Maki briefly wondered if Nico _had_ done this before, and wondered if it was unfair that she wanted to be Nico’s first.

“This? Like, you haven’t dated before?”

Maki shook her head. “I’ve never really been that… interested, before now. Before… you.” Nico’s cheeks became dusted with a shade of light pink, and Maki was once again thankful to see Nico with her guard down, adorably honest. Nico opened her mouth to speak before stopping herself, as if she was for once unsure of what to say, and a shy smile formed on her face.

“Me neither. I’ve had the odd crush here and there, but I’ve never felt this way about someone else before.” Maki resisted the urge to jump for joy at being Nico’s first girlfriend. Truth be told, she was surprised at this revelation, especially with how good Nico seemed to be at flirting with her. Maybe her and Maki just… clicked in some way?

So, this was new for them both. It most likely wasn’t going to be easy for them, Maki thought – they would both have to get used to the feeling of being in a relationship for the first time, and evidently they had both had their fair share of struggles. But together, Maki had the feeling they would be able to face those struggles, and whatever else came their way. For once in her life, Maki was optimistic about her future – _their_ future – and that was a feeling that made her mind feel clear and focused.

“Hey Nico?”

“Yes, dear?” Maki rolled her eyes and blushed simultaneously at the pet name.

“Gross. Never mind.” Nico attached herself to Maki’s arm, and the redhead felt herself become warm from the contact.

“Is Maki embarrassed? Can’t handle Nico being adorable?” Her grip tightened on Maki’s arm, to which Maki simply replied with a grumpy whine. Nico giggled and rested her head on Maki’s shoulder. 

“Anyway, what were you going to say?”

“Can we just… stay here for a while?” Out of the corner of her eye, Maki could see Nico’s smile widen.

“Sure.”

* * *

During the fifteen or so minutes that the couple sat, leaning against the wall of the smoking area, Creepy Dude was roughly escorted out of _DASH!_ by a pair of scary-looking security guards. It was likely the case that Maki wasn’t the first girl he had touched inappropriately that night, and the thought made her even angrier with him, yet now her punch seemed even more justifiable. His crooked nose and blood-stained face certainly filled Maki with a sense of righteousness, and despite not wanting to ever have to resort to physical violence again, she felt as if she could forgive herself for this instance.

“He’s lucky I wasn’t there when he touched you,” Nico began with a scowl on her face, “or I swear I would have kicked him straight in the balls. Maybe twice, for good measure.” Maki giggled at the image.  
“Yeah, I could see that happening. Don’t worry though, I can protect myself.”

“That much is obvious now.” Nico pointed in the direction of where the man had walked after being shoved out of the exit. “I mean, did you _see_ his nose? You really did a number on him!” Part of Maki felt a little bad for having likely broken the man’s nose, but a much larger part couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Hey, I have an idea for how we can commemorate us becoming the cutest couple ever!” Nico reached into her small bag and retrieved her phone. “It’s selfie time!” Maki tried her hardest to not groan outwardly, she really did, but her efforts were in vain. “Come on, it’ll be adorable! Here, copy this pose!” Nico held up the phone in front of them and made her usual sign with her free hand. The sign that Nico’s father had taught her. Any hint of a complaint died on Maki’s tongue, and she proudly copied Nico’s pose, both girls grinning as Nico took the photo. 

“Hey, can you send that to me?” Maki asked. Seconds later, the image was on her screen, and Maki couldn’t recall a time where she had looked this happy. It was a silly photo, but it was their first together, and Maki silently wished there would be many more to come. Perhaps they would look this happy in every single one.

“So, should we head back inside and tell everyone the good news?” Nico asked, preparing to stand up. “They’re probably wondering where we are.” Maki accepted her girlfriend’s outstretched hand, rising to her feet.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”

Before either of them could take a step towards the building, the girls heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance.

“Noooo Umiiii, I don’t wanna leave so sooooon.” Nico and Maki raised their eyebrows at each other, then turned to face the commotion. Umi was literally dragging a _very_ drunk Kotori out of the door, apologising to a nearby security guard.

“We have to go, Kotori. You need water, food and sleep, in that order.” Kotori grumbled something incomprehensible, but she stopped resisting for a short time, letting Umi lead her. Neither of them seemed to notice Nico or Maki staring at them as they left, Umi too focused on Kotori while the latter was far too wasted to focus on anything. Just as the couple was about to turn away and head inside, Kotori stopped in her tracks, causing Umi to turn around and face her.

“Now what?” Umi asked, perhaps a little harsher than necessary. What happened next was certainly not what Nico, Maki and _especially_ Umi were expecting, but something that they would all remember for a long time. Kotori grabbed Umi’s shoulders, leaned in, and kissed her on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a second, but it was enough for Umi’s face to turn red, and then very pale, immediately afterwards. Not long after Kotori had ended the kiss, Umi fell backwards in one fell swoop, her body hitting the ground with a dull thud. Kotori stood unmoved over Umi’s body, as if trying to process her own action. Nico and Maki turned towards each other, raised their eyebrows once more, and ran towards their fallen friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Did someone say sequel?_
> 
> Huge thanks to everyone who's read this, and for the lovely comments throughout! Now the focus on NicoMaki ends, shifting over to the absolute mess of KotoUmi. Expect the beginning of Part Two in a couple of months, maybe less!


End file.
